


Being your roommate is the...

by cubpen



Series: Hand in hand, we fall across dimensions [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Fusion, Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Dimension Travel, Dragons, Falling In Love, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Happy Ending, Humor, M/M, Magic, Magic-Users, Mutual Pining, Other, Runes, focus is on iwaoi, half of the characters are dragons, iwaizumi and yamaguchi are best friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-27
Updated: 2017-09-02
Packaged: 2018-12-07 15:46:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 27,897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11626737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cubpen/pseuds/cubpen
Summary: Iwaizumi Hajime thought having a roommate was a good way to save some money, but he knew a roommate could also be a giant pain in the ass.Oikawa Tooru was going to be the BEST roommate ever, and being a dragon wasn't going to stop him.





	1. Having a roommate is the absolute worst

**Author's Note:**

> Based on Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid.

**Yamaguchi Tadashi:** Hey we still on for drinks  
**Iwaizumi Hajime:** Yea sry got stuck  
**Iwaizumi Hajime:** See you in 10

The bar was pretty empty, which meant Yamaguchi could see Iwaizumi right when he walked in. He could also see everyone gawking and laughing as Iwaizumi's shoes made a horrible, obnoxious sound in between a squeak and a squelch with every step.

"Hey," said Iwaizumi. "Sorry I'm late." 

Yamaguchi gave him a look that was probably equal parts anxiety and concern. "Iwaizumi. When you said you got _stuck_ , you didn't mean traffic, did you."

"Nope," replied Iwaizumi. "Shoes were stuck to the kitchen floor, along with half a hotdog."

Yamaguchi grimaced. "This is worse than the other thing you told me about."

"Nah. That _moved_. I had time to get my stuff out of the way," explained Iwaizumi. "Hang on, I'm gonna go grab a drink before—"

"No!" Yamaguchi shook his head frantically, hoping to save his friend (and himself) from more unwanted attention. "Stay here! I'll go. It's on me."

_I guess I embarrassed him,_ Iwaizumi realized. He took some napkins and pressed them onto the bottom of his shoes. They stuck easily.

_Should make them stop squeaking for now._

Iwaizumi took a sip of water and waited for his friend.

 

* * *

 

The bar had filled up. It was late. They were a little drunk.

Maybe more than a little.

"AND!" shouted Yamaguchi, slapping the table hard. "He wush—he was naked! And then two! Of his friends! Naked too!"

Iwaizumi cackled. "Holy shit! Yamaguchi! Your parents!"

"Ugh I KNOW," Yamaguchi complained, letting his forehead hit the table. "Ow. And they said, they said, I should be 'more outgoing, like them!'" He didn't even bother to lift up his head when he made the finger quotes.

"Am I becoming a shut-in or something," Yamaguchi grumbled. He was too depressed to make it a question. "Should I quit gaming?"

Iwaizumi's expression turned serious. "You're not. We're hanging out right now. And you were just telling me about those people you met last week."

All of a sudden, Yamaguchi's eyes sparkled. "Yeah! They're my friends! And I'm super healthy! And my grades are really good! Really, really good! So good!"

"Yeah you're nothing like my roommate. Uggghhhhh. UGGGHHHH." Iwaizumi groaned. He downed the rest of his beer and slid the empty glass against the other ones on the table. "I had to call him 'Garga the Destroyer'. I said I'd call him that if he took a goddamn shower."

"Your roommate is Garga the Destroyer?" Yamaguchi couldn't believe it.

Iwaizumi frowned. "You know him? God, is he some really famous... video game... person... or something?

Yamaguchi snorted. "Yeah, right. Well. He's famous on the server 'cause he's really, really bad. Like. There's a video on YouTube of him walking off four different cliffs. For five minutes."

"Seriously?!" Iwaizumi smacked his own forehead. "Iunno why but I feel waaaay worse now."

"He's leaving! Don't feel worse, man! I'm jealous you get to live alone now..." Yamaguchi trailed off.

"Yeah. It'll be good. Great. Roommates are the worst, Yamaguchi, the WORST," Iwaizumi declared. "'Cept you. You'd be cool."

Yamaguchi gave his friend a sad smile. "Nah, I'm pretty lame. All I do is go to class and play video games..."

"Jeez, Yamaguchi," Iwaizumi snapped. "Th' hell d'you mean 'I jus' go to class and play video games'? You have great grades. You're funny. You're good at cooking and you have your weird animal sixth sense thing."

This made Yamaguchi laugh. "I think that's only because they think I'm as threatening as a sheet of paper." At this, his face darkened. "Pretty sure my roommate's friends think that too. There was a party yesterday and they were so loud. So loud. I threatened to call the police."

"Sounds pretty threatening. What happened?"

"I was like an animal at the zoo. They were all 'ooh, is this your nerd roommate' and 'hey, why don't you wear glasses' and 'do all your friends look like you'? I ran into my room and got back online."

Iwaizumi scrunched his face in disgust, then sighed. "If your school wasn't over an hour away we could be roommates! We wouldn't be stuck with these _shitty_ roommates!" And he got riled up again. "I jus' wanna _normal_ apartment with a _normal_ roommate so I can go to school and get a job. _Normal_ job. 'sall I want!"

Yamaguchi nodded. He remembered Iwaizumi being something of an anomaly in high school because he was so, well, _normal_. He did a little bit of everything, and while he wasn't great or spectacular at any one thing, he was fairly decent at all of them. He played in a few of the school volleyball team's matches as a starter for some matches and a substitute in others. He was pretty friendly with everybody, and vice versa. He got straight B's in class, and teachers didn't particularly pay more or less attention to him than any other student. He ate the same lunch every day. Even the girl he once dated was... nice. Seemed like a good person. But Yamaguchi couldn't even remember her name, let alone what she looked like.

Just then, Yamaguchi realized they've been quiet for a while. He didn't know how long he spaced out, but there were definitely more empty glasses on the table than there were before he started thinking about high school.

He checked the time. "Damn. Gotta go. Last train," he told Iwaizumi.

"You, yurgonna be okay 'ere?" Iwaizumi slurred.

"Yeah. But are you?!" Yamaguchi laughed, trying to make sure his friend could at least sit upright.

"'sfine. Walk later. Sober," Iwaizumi replied.

"Dude. Text me when you get home."

Iwaizumi shooed his friend away. "Go. Train. Text. Okay? Okay."

Yamaguchi nodded and waved goodbye.

_Ughhhhh, home. Don' wanna stick_ , was the last thought Iwaizumi remembered having that night.

 

* * *

 

 

There was a loud _CRACK!_ and Iwaizumi threw his pillow over his head.

A thunderstorm. His head hurt.

... Except the sky looked very blue and very bright outside his bedroom window.

Maybe some of the bookcases toppled over, now that all the bags of trash and dirty laundry his roommate left in front of them were finally gone.

He got up to investigate.

The floor and walls were as gross as ever, but there was no sign of damage.

... Except the big hole in the front door and all the splintered wood around it.

Something dark was blocking that hole outside. Iwaizumi opened the door.

_RAWWRRRRRRRRR_

He shut the door, closed his eyes and counted to five, then opened the door again.

A tall, brown-haired man about Iwaizumi's own age stood there with a warm smile and his arms outstretched, as if waiting for a hug. He wore dark-rimmed glasses, an oversized navy blue sweatshirt emblazoned with the name of the university Iwaizumi went to, black jeans, and white high top sneakers with mint-green stripes.

He also had a pair of horns on his head.

Iwaizumi thought it all looked rather stylish, somehow, though he never really understood fashion. Are horns a thing now? He couldn't remember if any of his classmates wore headbands like that. Or maybe they were clip-ons.

He was wondering if he could get a closer look when the man announced, "Iwa-chan~! I'm here!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nothing good comes from drinking so much that your personality goes OOC.


	2. Monday mornings are the ACTUAL worst

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iwaizumi can't handle having a new roommate right now.
> 
> Or maybe... ?

_One more time._

Iwaizumi shut the door. He closed his eyes, counted to five, then opened the door again.

This time, he noticed the man's tail.

_Oh, well then, that settles it. This isn't real. I'll wake up soon enough._

"Come in, come in," Iwaizumi said, and stepped aside for his guest.

"Yay! Iwa-chan's the best!" The man cheered. He hugged Iwaizumi on his way in. Iwaizumi stiffened in surprise, then patted the newcomer on the back a few times.

 _My face is warm,_ Iwaizumi thought. _And he feels... nice. This is kind of realistic for a dream._

"Does this look okay? I look like a real student, right?" The man asked, adjusting his glasses and tugging on the cuff of one of his sleeves.

Iwaizumi frowned. He still wasn't waking up. "Who are you... who are you supposed to be?" He asked.

"Ehh?" said the man. He tilted his head to the side a bit and flicked his tail. "We met yesterday? And you said I could come live here? Since your roommate is gone?"

There were several beats of silence.

And then a vague sense of something from last night floated into Iwaizumi's thoughts.

"Is... your name Tooru?" he asked tentatively.

"It is! Phew, I thought you forgot about me!" His tail stopped swishing around, but his horns twitched a bit.

"Forgot... ugh," Iwaizumi groaned.

"Are you okay?" Tooru asked. He sounded anxious. "Umm... um, a first aid kit?"

"No, just a headache. From drinking—"

Iwaizumi closed his mouth abruptly. There was another dream, and that one was a little too realistic too.

"I... we met on a mountain," began Iwaizumi.

"Mhmm, mhmm," Tooru nodded eagerly.

"And on the mountain I ran into—"

_A dragon._

Iwaizumi looked at Tooru again. Silver horns. A tail with brilliant white scales and mint green markings.

He remembered thinking the dragon's colors were pretty.

"I... drank with you... ? I had a six pack and you had some potion keg thing." Now that Iwaizumi had an image in his mind, the details were coming back to him quickly.

"Uh huh, uh huh," Tooru encouraged, eyes bright.

_Oh. Ohhh._

"I told you my roommate left. You said you had nowhere to go. So I said—"

"—just come live at my place then," they said together.

"And I'm gonna be Iwa-chan's BEST roommate ever!" Tooru announced, twitching horns and all.

"Wait, wait. Hang on," said Iwaizumi, rubbing his temples. "I know I said that last night, but I'm sorry. You can't stay here."

Tooru blinked at him.

"Is it because I'm a dragon? But I'm really useful! I can equip this place with all the best trap runes, I can curse people you don't like, I can do all the chores you need me to do—"

"No, don't do those things!" Iwaizumi interrupted. He squashed the impulse that wanted to say ' _but you can do the last thing_.'

"It's not because you're a dragon, it's because I can barely afford rent. I can't handle the added expense of having a guest stay here." He cringed a little, because he didn't like going back on his word. Still, the truth was the truth.

"Again, I'm really sorry. I just can't," he said.

Tooru looked at him with a shy, embarrassed smile. "I put you in a difficult situation last night. I'm sorry for intruding," he said, bowing to Iwaizumi.

Before Iwaizumi knew it, Tooru was already about to step outside. "Definitely not a dream," Iwaizumi muttered to himself, because all of this guilt had to be real. He looked around the apartment. It did look pretty empty in here now that his roommate's stuff was gone... could it work out?

He caught a glimpse of the clock.

8:56am.

"Shit. Shit!" Iwaizumi cursed to himself.

He had a physics exam in _four minutes_. It usually took a little under a half hour to get to campus, which means that if he was very, very lucky then the professor would let him scribble some answers in for the last 4 or 5 minutes. Tops.

He'd have to retake the course if he failed this exam.

Some combination of desperation, a headache, and a bit of that crushing guilt gave Iwaizumi an idea.

"Tooru! Wait!" Iwaizumi yelled, scrambling to the door and grabbing the man's... dragon's... wrist.

"Wait. Can you fly?"

Tooru gave Iwaizumi a wink and a huge grin, then began his transformation.

 

* * *

 

They arrived on the roof of the physics building at 8:59.

_Holy shit, that was fun._

Iwaizumi wondered how much money he'd save if he didn't have to pay for public transportation any more. More importantly, this was like having his personal roller coaster.

_Wait. Come on, Hajime. This is a DRAGON. A dangerous, magical creature who probably doesn't want to be compared to a theme park ride._

No time. He'd have to think about it later. Meanwhile, something like this probably wouldn't hurt...

"Can you... Tooru. You can defend yourself, right?" 

Tooru nodded eagerly.

"Probably didn't need to ask a dragon that. Anyway, can you go to my apartment and make sure no one breaks in with that hole in the door?"

Tooru's horns twitched. The effect was rather different when he was a massive dragon who could probably level this building with one swipe of his tail, but Iwaizumi still thought it was kind of cute.


	3. These neighbors are the first to visit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It gets a little complicated when you can't tell whether or not your neighbor is a fellow dragon.

Tooru had a busy morning.

He hoped Iwa-chan didn't mind if he fixed the door instead of just guarding it.

He cleaned the floor, although he couldn't figure out why that took so much Spirit. Maybe that bog was actually a part of the kitchen.

He found the sharpest knife in one of the cutlery drawers and set it aside. That would have to wait until dinner.

Now, Tooru just needed to kill any intruders. But it looked like there were a lot of students in this building. What if they were Iwa-chan's friends? How do you tell them apart?

He decided to call the smartest dragon he knew.

"Hello? Kei-san?"

"Tooru-sama. You're... far away."

"Yes! I'm in the human dimension now. Quick question, how do I tell if a human is good or bad?"

"JUST KILL THEM ALL."

Tooru sighed. That was the textbook answer. He thanked the other dragon and promised to call again later, then hung up.

In mere moments, someone was knocking on the door.

_Iwa-chan wouldn't knock. An intruder!_

No more research. It was time for action. He linked himself to the trap runes and prepared to release them any second.  

_Ready._

Tooru opened the door.

 _Human intruder confirmed!_  But the other visitor...

 _He's a dragon?! Did he jump to the human dimension by mistake?_ Tooru knew all the dragons registered for inter-dimensional travel, and this dragon wasn't one of them. 

Still, Tooru left the traps alone. He wasn't going to hurt other dragons any more.

"Hey hey hey! You're Iwaizumi's friend!" said the dragon.

But when Tooru looked more carefully, he saw that the black and silver spikes on the dragon's head were hardened human hair, not horns. He was accompanied by a human with dark, scruffy hair and half-lidded eyes.

 _They're both humans!_  

Then again, they might be good humans. Intruders probably wouldn't know Iwa-chan's name. 

"Hi," said Tooru, and bowed politely. 

"HE'S CUTE," yelled the not-dragon. "Akaashi, look!"

The other man nodded at Tooru and said hello. He turned to his companion. "Bokuto-san, please don't yell at Iwaizumi's friend. What's your name?" he asked, looking back at Tooru. "I'm Akaashi, and this is Bokuto. We're Iwaizumi's teammates."

"We live next door!" Bokuto added.

Teammates. Tooru wondered about that. "I'm Tooru!" he announced.

Akaashi looked at him in surprise. "Is... that okay? Are you sure you wouldn't be more comfortable with your family name?"

"Yep!" Tooru chirped. Ooh. He'd need to talk to Iwa-chan about a name.

Bokuto elbowed Akaashi. "See? Cute!" Akaashi rolled his eyes.

Tooru wasn't sure if he should invite people into Iwa-chan's apartment. But they weren't intruders, so... 

"Do you want to come in?" he asked.

"Ah," Akaashi said with a smile, "We noticed your door this morning and came to help, but it looks—"

"Hey Akaaaaashi!" Bokuto interrupted. "Iwaizumi has some nice furniture!" Somehow, he'd slipped inside and was already bouncing on the couch. 

Akaashi gave Tooru an apologetic look before rushing in. There was still time to stop Bokuto before he broke anything.

 

* * *

 

Iwaizumi saw that someone fixed his door.

And he saw too many pairs of shoes inside.

There was also one of his teammates poking one of Tooru's horns.

 _And,_ another one of his teammates trying to stop him.

He had a lot of questions about this situation, but he also wasn't thinking right thanks to the surprise of having this many people in his apartment for the first time ever.

"Um," he said.

"Iwa-chan!" Tooru bounced up from the couch and nearly bowled Iwaizumi over with a hug.

Iwaizumi patted Tooru on the back a couple times and wondered how much Bokuto and Akaashi already figured out. He didn't think anyone would even catch a glimpse of Tooru until tomorrow at the earliest, let alone  _touch_ him.

Iwaizumi felt an unfamiliar impulse surge through his body. He wanted his teammates to back off.

But he shook off the urge to take action and tried to come up with a cover story instead.

"Tooru is just, um. He's. He's not actually, ah—" Iwaizumi was never very good at this sort of thing.

Bokuto saved him from further misery. "Come _on_ , Iwaizumi!" he laughed. "It's me and Akaashi. You _really_ think _we_ mind that Tooru is—"

"—your boyfriend?" Bokuto finished.  
"—a cosplayer?" said Akaashi.

The four of them stared at each other in silence.

Tooru spoke up first. "Oh, I'm just Iwa-chan's roommate!"

Then it was Bokuto. "Man, that's cosplay? Your horns and tail look so real!"

Iwaizumi couldn't process this. _What did he think it was before??_

"Bokuto-san," Akaashi said abruptly. "We need to get going, or we'll be late."

"Oh! Yeah! Hey, let's all go get food some time!" Bokuto suggested on their way out.

Akaashi aimed a quick sideways glance at Tooru before staring intently at Iwaizumi. "Maybe we should stay in. Pizza?" he said. Iwaizumi wondered if Akaashi was watching for his reaction.

"Can I bring my friends?" Tooru asked.

"YES FRIENDS! YES PIZZA!" Bokuto cheered. He pumped his fist as he walked out the door, with Akaashi trailing behind him.

 

* * *

 

"Iwa-chan." Tooru grabbed a plate from the dishwasher.

Iwaizumi was setting the table. "What's up?"

"What kind of team are you and Akaashi and Bokuto on?"

"Oh. The school volleyball team. Do you know what that is?"

Tooru shook his head. "I'll look it up later. But are teammates the same as friends?"

Iwaizumi wasn't sure how to answer this. He's been teammates with Bokuto and Akaashi for two years, now, but today was the first time they've ever been in the same place at the same time for anything other than volleyball. But he always had a feeling they were decent guys.

"Well," he said, "I guess it feels that way sometimes. For me... when we all work together to score points and get past the other team, it's like everybody's on the same page and helping each other out. Plus, it's fun. I can show you some of our matches from last year if you wanna see what it's like."

"I do! Teams aren't really a thing for dragons, but I always thought they seemed fun." Tooru's face lit up with excitement, and it made Iwaizumi's heart do... _something_.

But there was a more pressing matter at hand.

"Before we do that, though... what...  _is_ this?" Iwaizumi looked down at the item on his plate. He thought it was some kind of roast, although it had no actual meat-like characteristics. It was the wrong color (green), the wrong size (huge), and the wrong smell (???). 

Tooru handed him a bowl of rice. "A chunk of my tail."

Iwaizumi dropped the rice and had a _serious_ coughing fit. 

"It regenerates quickly if you cut it a certain way," Tooru supplied, as if that was the first thing on Iwaizumi's mind. 

Well, Tooru's tail did look like it was whole and healthy. But that wasn't the point. "Tooru, I'm _not_ eating your tail."

"But..."

"Tooru."

"'kay. I'll put it in the freezer..." He said softly, taking Iwaizumi's plate and wrapping it up. 

"Hey," Iwaizumi poked Tooru's arm. "You know it's not about your cooking, right? I just... can't. And you didn't have to make dinner." 

He saw the expression on Tooru's face. There was that guilt again. Strange. 

 _Did I really hurt his feelings?_ The possibility bothered Iwaizumi. A lot.

"Too-ru. Hey. Can we talk?" He couldn't get Tooru's attention away from the freezer, even though the dragon had already put the piece of tail away. So he took Tooru's hand in his own and tugged lightly. 

Iwaizumi felt some resistance from Tooru but held on, leading them back to the table. He placed the chairs so that they could talk face to face. Neither of them had let go of the other's hand.

"I really wanted to help," the dragon said in a small voice.

"I know," Iwaizumi replied gently. "And you've helped a lot already. Did you know that you probably saved me from having to retake physics?"

Tooru stared at Iwaizumi with eyes wide.

"Listen," he said, glad that Tooru looked much less upset. "We're roommates now. So we're a team, okay? We work together to get things done. I've never had a roommate who wanted to pitch in, so I'm new at this too. But teams... they really can be fun."

"Really?"

 _Good. He looks excited again._ Iwaizumi smiled. 

"Yes, really," he said. "So let's have dinner, and you can tell me what dragons eat so I can cook tomorrow," Iwaizumi freed his hand and stood up, but Tooru didn't move an inch. 

"You okay?" Iwaizumi asked.  _Did I miss something?_ He had no idea, so he just said the first thing that popped up in his mind. 

"Do you... wanna keep holding hands for a little bit?"

 _"Yes!"_ Tooru shouted, then blushed. That was louder than either of them had expected. Iwaizumi smiled at this, then noticed he'd been smiling a lot today.

They held hands. Iwaizumi told Tooru about volleyball and Tooru told Iwaizumi about dragon digestion. They let go of each other to eat, then cleared the dishes, then watched videos on Iwaizumi's laptop. 

"Thanks for dealing with dinner, Tooru," Iwaizumi said through a yawn a bit later. "'m going to sleep." 

He took a single step, thought better of it, then turned back to Tooru.

"Um, good night," he said, awkwardly patted Tooru's head a couple of times, then disappeared into his room.

Tooru had to wait for his face to stop burning and his horns to stop twitching before he could make himself get ready for bed.

 

* * *

 

The next morning.

"Hey, Tooru." Iwaizumi said, handing over a plate of scrambled eggs. He thought he'd have to go find a place that sold moose or elk meat or something, but it turns out dragons actually liked regular food very much.

He had something else on his mind, now. "You know you can say no if someone asks to touch your horns, right?"

Tooru looked at him. "I know. But I don't have any reason to! Dragons rub horns all the time. It's like... shaking hands, I guess. But a little more friendly."

Iwaizumi didn't know how anxious he'd been until he let out a big sigh of relief. "Okay, I'm glad it's not uncomfortable for you. But you know it'd be bad if someone found out you were a dragon, right?"

It was a matter of fact for Tooru. "I wouldn't be able to stay with Iwa-chan."

"Is it better... safer... if you hid your horns and tail? Just when there are other people around."

Tooru said nothing. His expression was a mystery to Iwaizumi. It looked blank, impassive. But also something else? He stopped himself from making wild guesses. _I'm sure it's nothing. It's gotta be better for him to shake hands as a human instead of touching horns, right?_

"What do you think, Tooru?"

Tooru nodded. "Okay! That's a good idea, Iwa-chan. I'll try it today." 

 


	4. The libraries are the same in both dimensions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It'd been so long since his former tutor Kei-san—no, Tsukishima, now—had tried to kill him. Those were really the good old days.

Their official story was this:

Oikawa Tooru and Iwaizumi Hajime were childhood friends. But when junior high came around, the Oikawa family moved to America. Tooru just finished high school and came back to Japan to study, but he didn't arrive in time to start the school year. So he was just studying and refamiliarizing himself with the country until the beginning of the next semester.

Tooru liked it. He liked that Iwa-chan picked out a name for him, and he really liked the idea of the two of them being childhood friends. He liked that he just got a key to the apartment. Human languages were easily processed by dragon magic, so as far as anyone was concerned he was already fluent in English. Living in America also explained Tooru's preference for his given name and maybe even his... eccentricities.

As promised, he wove an Outer Suppression rune to hide his horns and tail.

"Neat," Iwa-chan said, when Tooru showed him the result. "You'd never know a tail was there! The horns are gone, too." Tooru thought he heard a tinge of disappointment towards the end, but that couldn't be right...

Anyway, to Tooru it seemed like Iwa-chan was confident that this would work. He told Tooru, "You're on your own now. You can do whatever. Just text when you need something, all right?"

The dragon could barely contain his excitement.  _Iwa-chan trusts me!_ He realized. _If I can keep this up, I'll really be the best roommate ever._  

 

* * *

 

Tooru went to the university library. He was learning a lot just by browsing the internet, but he really had a soft spot for books. His father's library was one of his favorite places in the world, because that's where he had all of his lessons with Kei-san. 

Kei. Such a great dragon. Tooru learned all about things like the Factions and their philosophies, the best-known dimensions and their features, the many types of dragon hoards... Best of all, he was the dragon who taught Tooru Runework. Tooru's favorite type of lesson was the one for learning how to use the Wayfinding rune. It was simple: Kei would try to assassinate Tooru from a hidden plane in the dragon dimension, and Tooru had to use Wayfinding to find Kei before Kei killed him. 

Tooru and his father didn't always get along, but he was always thankful that the king insisted on finding a particularly bloodthirsty scholar for his education. 

He sighed with satisfaction after browsing and reading for an hour or two. This library at Iwa-chan's school reminded him of Kei so much that he could feel the tutor's murderous intent.

... In this dimension. Focused on him _right now._

This was really, really bad timing. Kei relied on his Spirit-reading ability to find and identify living beings, not his physical eyesight. And Tooru had been focusing so much on sustaining Outer Suppression that the shape of his Spirit was all distorted and warped... no wonder Kei was trying to kill him.

Tooru was thankful for those lessons now. He quickly wrote Wayfinding and found Kei one plane away.

But even then, not getting himself killed was going to be tricky. It wasn't like their game any more; now, Kei saw him as an unknown enemy. If he simply Transported to the other plane, Kei would see it as a sneak attack and kill him as soon as he landed.

It's what Tooru would do himself.

He tried texting his former teacher, but there was no response. 

There was one other way.

_Ugh. A Portal just to cross planes. What a waste of Spirit._

But using one guaranteed that Kei would recognize him.

Tooru wrote the required runes and wove them together, opening a small Portal in midair. He frowned. They were usually a lot bigger, but this would work for now.

He heard the familiar cold and emotionless voice as soon as he stepped into the destination plane.

"Tooru-sama. I was trying to kill you before I felt your Portal."

 _Ahh, it's like being a kid again._ "Don't worry about it," Tooru replied. "You really can't tell it's me? What do I feel like?"

"An abnormally tall goblin, I guess," the scholar replied.

"Ew. Gross." Tooru shuddered. He released Outer Suppression, and his horns and tail flickered back into view. "There. Better?" 

"Much," said Kei. "Why are you torturing yourself?"

"Why are you in this dimension when you hate humans so much?" Tooru countered.

Kei narrowed his eyes at Tooru. "I was aiming for a nice and abandoned subterranean dimension to relax in, but I missed because the only Portalweaver known to dragonkind was off playing human." 

"Kei-san. You could've just called me," Tooru complained. But he still felt guilty. Other than a Portal, the only way to cross dimensions was a Straight Jump. In his opinion, Jumping shouldn't even be legal. Sure, the rune combination was one of his own inventions. But he quickly discovered how inaccurate and messy it was. Since then, he only used it to jettison trash to a different dimension. It didn't matter if part of the trash ended up in one dimension and part of it in another by mistake. But it _definitely_ mattered if the same thing happened to a _dragon_. The whole reason why Tooru made the inter-dimensional registry was so that he could weave Portals for everyone who wanted one. Still, many dragons didn't want to wait for their turn and Jumped instead.

And the king was a bad influence; he insisted on using it on the dragons in his employ even though _his own son can make perfectly good_ _portals, damn it._ This train of thought always annoyed Tooru.

Now. Now there was no one there to weave Portals. When Tooru releases the last one standing, the registry would be dead as long as he remained in the human dimension. He tucked this thought away for now.

"Don't Jump any more. Please. In fact, this is an order." Tooru said sternly. "You would look terrible with a missing wing or leg or something. Just call or text me and I'll open a Portal whenever and wherever you need it. I'm paying for the inter-dimensional plan on my phone for a reason and I _know_ you're on the same plan."

"Fine," said Kei. "Now that I'm here, though, I will admit that the human dimension is... interesting. This library, for instance."

Tooru grinned. "I know, right?" He looked around before remembering they were in a different plane. There wasn't much to see here, although something shiny caught his eye. He squinted to read what was engraved into the the small metal bar attached to Kei's clothing.

" _Tsukishima_ Kei? New name? And... You _work_ here?!"

"Yes. Use that name from now on. And I work here because it's cool. But you haven't answered my question. Why are you Suppressing? And what is..." Kei—Tsukishima—grimaced. " _This_ mess." He waved his hand vaguely at Tooru.

"To blend in. One of these is the Portal I left open to the frost dimension. All the other ones are for personal protection."

Tsukishima glared at him. "You've jumped here plenty of times and never Suppressed before. And why, exactly, are you worried about 'personal protection' as a dragon in the human dimension?"

 _Why is he always so observant?_ Tooru scowled. "Don't worry about it. I asked Iwa-chan to meet me in a few minutes to grab a bite to eat, so let's go back." He started to reweave Outer Suppression and pointedly ignored Tsukishima's scornful look.

"You'll be running on empty any second now. You know you can't handle that," he told Tooru.

"It's fine," Tooru insisted. He tried to focus on weaving. It was harder now than it was this morning. "I left the Portal open. You can go ahead."

"Is that an order, _your majesty?_ " Tsukishima sneered.

Tooru rolled his eyes.

The tutor bowed low. "As you wish, my goblin prince," and stepped through the Portal.

 

* * *

 

"You. Human," a voice called from the shadows just outside the library. A tall, blond, and bespectacled man emerged from what appeared to be a supply closet. 

Oh, and the man had horns and a tail. Iwaizumi wondered when that stopped being a surprise.

This wasn't the dragon he wanted to see, though. "Where's Tooru?"

The tall dragon regarded Iwaizumi with an unreadable look. 

Anxiety spiked in Iwaizumi's chest. "Look. Do you know where he is or not? If you don't, I'm going to find him and you're not stopping me."

"Oh. Oh no. Help. A threat from a human. Save me," the dragon deadpanned. "Just help me carry Tooru-sama to wherever he's sheltered. I can't Transport, so we have to move him the hard way." He went back inside the closet and reemerged with Tooru in his arms.

_Tooru-sama? Weird. '_

Iwaizumi shook off the mental distraction when he saw Tooru unconscious. "What did you do to him." 

For some reason, the dragon wrinkled his nose. "Ugh. Calm down, human. You're becoming a mess. He just overexerted himself and fainted."

"Is it... dangerous?" Iwaizumi asked.

"It is when it's him," the dragon replied, as if Iwaizumi was supposed to know what that meant.

"Uh... well, whatever. Let's go!" said Iwaizumi. "It's fastest if you fly, right?"

"Did you not just hear me." It sounded like the dragon was losing patience. "I can't Transport."

Iwaizumi supposed it made sense that "transport" just meant flying for a dragon. But why not say "fly"? He really needed a dragon dictionary.

And they needed a way home. There was no way he was taking Tooru on the bus or train like this.

He thought back to yesterday.

 _Are teammates the same as friends?_ Tooru had asked.

Iwaizumi had never really asked for help before. It just never came up. So was it actually okay to ask a teammate (friend?) for something not related to volleyball? He didn't know.

He _did_ know that Bokuto and Akaashi always drove to away matches themselves, which meant they had access to a vehicle. And, well, this was an emergency. _No time for doubt,_ Iwaizumi decided. He found Bokuto's number from an old team email and hoped for the best.

 **Iwaizumi Hajime:** Hey this is iwaizumi. Really need a huge favor  
**Iwaizumi Hajime:** My roommate's sick and I need to get him home asap

A reply came right away.

 **Bokuto Koutarou:** Tooru?!?!  
**Bokuto Koutarou:** No ER??

Iwaizumi briefly imagined a dragon on a hospital stretcher.

 **Iwaizumi Hajime:** No just home I think he's just exhausted  
**Bokuto Koutarou:**  K let's go home! Where are you  
**Iwaizumi Hajime:** Library  
**Bokuto Koutarou:**  Here comes akaashi were ready to go  
**Bokuto Koutarou:** 5 min?  
**Iwaizumi Hajime:** Thank you  
**Bokuto Koutarou:** Np!!!

"Human," said the dragon stranger.

Iwaizumi looked up from his phone. "My teammates can drive us back to my apartment. They'll be here soon."

"But we can't Suppress our tails right now," was the dragon's reply.

"Oh." _Right. To hide it like Tooru did this morning._ "Well, they've both seen Tooru with his tail and horns, so it should be okay?"

The dragon took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Idiot. Do you really think three adult humans and two adult dragons with tails will fit in this Bokuto's car?"

Iwaizumi had to admit he hadn't thought of that.

"Hey hey hey! Iwaizumi!" Bokuto shouted. "Who's this guy?" He looked curiously at the dragon.

"Um," said Iwaizumi.

"It's Tsukishima. I work at the library. Tooru— right, Tooru. Is a friend."

"Cool. I'm Bokuto! Akaashi's outside with our ride. Let's go!" And the three headed outside with Tooru supported between them.

Iwaizumi wanted to kiss Bokuto for owning this grungy, beat-up van. It was huge. Even Tsukishima looked relieved.

 _And_ they got home in record time.

"You guys," said Iwaizumi. "Thank you. Seriously. I really owe you." 

"Don't worry about it," said Akaashi. "I hope Tooru feels better soon."

"Text if you need anything!" Bokuto added. The two men headed into their apartment, leaving Tsukishima to carry Tooru while Iwaizumi fished for his keys. 

"How can they survive if they use their own resources for other humans, without getting anything in return?" asked Tsukishima.

"Oh. Well, they're really good guys. Plus, I do wanna return the favor," Iwaizumi said. 

The dragon didn't respond. 

 

* * *

 

"This place is tiny," said Tsukishima. 

Iwaizumi frowned. "We can talk about that later, right? Shouldn't we take care of Tooru first?" 

Tsukishima sighed. "And like I said, _this place is tiny_ and we need much, much more space. Where can Tooru-sama release into dragon form?"

They went to the roof. 

"He's still unconscious," Iwaizumi said softly. He kneeled next to Tooru and brushed some of the dragon's hair out of his face. Tsukishima said nothing. He pulled out a small bag of what looked like balls of dirt out of his jacket pocket, smashed one up, and put the broken chunks in Tooru's mouth. 

Nothing was happening. 

"Should I get him a glass of water? Or..."

"Get a hose," said Tsukishima. 

Iwaizumi was finding that 'act now, ask later' was the best way to roll in this situation. There was just too much he didn't know, and Iwaizumi needed a dragon on his side right now. Plus, this Tsukishima seemed like he actually cared about Tooru under all that snark. 

Tooru was a full-sized dragon when Iwaizumi returned. 

"He needs to cool down," said Tsukishima. "We usually use lakes, but this is good enough." 

This is how Iwaizumi ended up spending his afternoon hosing dragon-Tooru off on the roof of his apartment building. 

He felt like he was washing a car. A thought dawned on him. "Tsukishima. Wouldn't this go a lot faster if Tooru was in human form? I don't mind doing this, but putting him in a tub of cold water will probably cool him down just as well, right?"

Tsukishima sighed. "I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you actually don't know why that's a really, really dumb question. I'll probably kill you otherwise. You don't know anything about our runes? About dragon magic?"

Iwaizumi frowned and shook his head no. Tooru said his Suppression thing was a rune, but nothing beyond that. 

Tsukishima sneered at him. "Are you exceptionally stupid as far as humans go?"

"... Probably," Iwaizumi said after considering this, and he meant it. If Tsukishima hadn't been around, someone would've taken Tooru to the infirmary. And then it'd all be over. He thought he covered his bases by finding out about dragon eating and sleeping. That... was a dumb assumption. They got lucky, this time. 

But this was his opportunity to learn more. "Can you explain this magic rune stuff? In a way that will help me help Tooru?"

The dragon stared at him. "Hmph. You... feel similar. Sometimes."

"What?" Iwaizumi asked.

"Forget it," said Tsukishima. "Now pay attention and I'll explain why your question earlier was so idiotic."

 

* * *

 

"Dragon magic is powered by Spirit. Spirit exists in all living beings, but dragons can store a large amount and manipulate it easily. Eons ago, our ancestors discovered Runeworking: a method to channel Spirit into useful magic. It uses a set of marks we now call Chaos Runes."

"Simply put, we can make a set of movements that looks we're writing those marks, the runes, in midair. Adding Spirit to that creates an effect based on the runes written. Some runes create an instant, one-time effect. Other runes must be sustained, which means a dragon must constantly push Spirit into the rune for it to remain in effect."

"There are many runes and rune combinations, but your question earlier concerns the Compression rune. We use it to transform ourselves into anything smaller than our regular bodies."

Iwaizumi considered all of this. "If that's one of the sustain runes, staying in human form means that you have to put Spirit into it all the time," he said to himself, trying to make sure he understood. 

Tsukishima looked taken aback. "Keep talking, human. Maybe you're getting this." Iwaizumi saw him smile for a split second... or maybe it was just a nicer-looking sneer. 

"Since Tooru passed out, he can't keep putting his Spirit into this Compression. So he went back to normal. His normal. Dragon. And he can't go back to human for us to put him in a tub."

"That's half of the answer," said Tsukishima.

"Was that right? But then it doesn't make sense. Tooru passed out before I even got to the library. How did he stay human so long?"

"That... is where Tooru-sama is a danger to himself. While most dragons have enough sense to slow down and rest once their Spirit starts running low, he chooses to continue until he drops. Like today." 

Iwaizumi heard the bitterness in the dragon's voice.

"Due to his... preference... turning into a habit," Tsukishima continued, "I believe his body is conditioned to the point that it will continue channeling Spirit even if he is not directing the flow himself. And that can continue for a long time; the theory is that dragon bodies will start converting life energy into Spirit when Spirit runs out and there is a demand for it. But the effect is not well-researched because the only dragon stupid enough to make it happen is Tooru-sama. Just now, I drugged him to force his body to stop using any Spirit."

Iwaizumi was suddenly very grateful to Tsukishima, but then something shattered inside him. "Wait. Wait. You... he... dragons... have to use up Spirit to keep looking like humans. So why is he here, where he has to be Compressed _all the time?!_ Why are _you_ here? Won't this keep happening? He _can't_ keep doing this. It'll keep hurting him. He _has_ to go back to wherever you're from. Or anywhere he can be a dragon. You too. What if you end up like this?" Iwaizumi blurted in a rush.

"You underestimate Chaos dragons, human," Tsukishima said. There was more than a touch of pride in his voice. "Yes, Compression requires a constant supply of Spirit. But Faction royalty—especially those who work as hard as Tooru-sama—work the rune so efficiently that they can maintain it with a mere trickle of Spirit. Average dragons feel mild discomfort from sustaining a Compression, and for some it may limit the number of runes they can keep active at the same time. But it's still not a big deal."

"... Did you say royalty," said Iwaizumi. He was too tired and overwhelmed to make that into a question.

Tsukishima glared at him. "Have the two of you ever had a conversation. Where each participant puts words together to provide information about themselves."

Iwaizumi was too tired to handle the sass, too.

The dragon sighed. "He's the crown prince of the Chaos Faction."

Iwaizumi put a lot of effort into not letting his legs give out. 

Tsukishima shook his head. "Can you two... actually talk... to each other. This is becoming ridiculous and I'm getting a headache. When you do, before anything else, for the love of everything, _make_ him stop using Outer Suppression. Ask him what it actually does. Ask about those absurd traps, too. Just because he _can_ doesn't mean he  _should_."

Iwaizumi had questions about the questions he was supposed to ask, but the dragon looked like he wasn't kidding about the headache. 

_He's probably not a part of the royal family if he addresses Tooru that way. So looking human makes him uncomfortable..._

"Hey uh, Tsukishima," Iwaizumi began. He felt awkward. "You look like you need a break too... but I don't think there's room for you to dragon here."

That feeling returned, the one where he absolutely _needed_ Tooru to be okay. It was a very mild version of that feeling, but this dragon, too... _He's a good guy. Dragon. I wanna help._

And then the words just fell out of his mouth.

"Does sleeping help? When you're all Compressed? Or eating? I got a bunch of food Tooru says he likes. It seems like he has a sweet tooth, but I like salty things, so I think you're covered. So yeah. Make sure you eat _something_. And here." He held his keys out to Tsukishima. "You can rest anywhere. But make sure you're comfortable. If you're in a room and close the door, I won't go inside." 

Tsukishima raised one eyebrow and didn't say a word. Iwaizumi realized that for once, the dragon looked like that because he was surprised, not because he was judging him.

"It... does," Tsukishima began tentatively. "Help. To eat and sleep. And eating in this form is better. It's much more efficient and _definitely_ cheaper. I... will take you up on your offer. But I'm not paying you."

"Cool," replied Iwaizumi. "Should I keep watering Tooru?"

Tsukishima pressed his palm against Tooru's body. "You can stop. Just wait for him to wake up on his own. By then he should be well enough to eat and talk. And," he added hesitantly.

Iwaizumi waited. 

"You are a ridiculous human," the dragon finally said. "And stupid. But you're... not the worst. I will try not to kill you. Thank you for your hospitality." He gave Iwaizumi a curt nod, then left the rooftop. 

Iwaizumi turned off the water and placed a hand on Tooru's side. He wanted to know what a healthy dragon's temperature felt like. He was starting to feel really bad about this Suppression thing, since he'd suggested it in the first place. He would do better from now on. They'll always take turns making dinner. He'll ask more questions and tell Tooru more about himself. He'll keep a better eye on Tooru, check in, find good times and places for him to be a dragon.

They were roommates, after all.

All of this was uncharted territory. But it was different now. And he found people and a dragon willing to help. 

_Roommates... and friends... watch out for each other._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FEATURED RUNE: WAYFINDING
> 
> In this chapter: Used to locate Tsukishima 
> 
> Purpose: Upgraded version of Identify. Search for Spirit shapes in all planes of current dimension. 
> 
> Sustain: Yes. Searching ends when released.
> 
> Complexity: single rune (medium Spirit drain)  
> Most complex of all known single runes; only single rune with medium Spirit drain
> 
> Upgrades to Scan (2-rune weave, high Spirit drain) when woven into Identify. Extends search range to multiple dimensions.
> 
> Component of several advanced combination runes including Scan, Straight Jump, Portal, Trap (Portal version).
> 
> DRAGON DATA
> 
> Human/dragon names: Oikawa Tooru  
> Faction: Chaos  
> Favorite rune: Wayfinding  
> Unique/bloodline ability: Portal-weaving  
> Hobbies: reading, cooking, making new rune combinations 
> 
> Spirit capacity: ***  
> Runeworking: ******  
> Knowledge: ****  
> Stamina capacity: **  
> Strength: ***


	5. Yamaguchi is the rarest of all unicorns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Later, they all found out that Yamaguchi learned more about Tsukishima in 30 minutes than Tooru had in two centuries.

Yamaguchi was trying to make himself unlock the door and just go inside already. But he didn't want to intrude on Iwaizumi's personal space or cause any problems.

Then again, Iwaizumi did give him his spare keys. Plus, he had nowhere else to go... he probably wouldn't go back to his old apartment even if his roommate _hadn't_ burned the place down.

Yamaguchi unlocked the door and went inside.

_Oh._

Iwaizumi had guests.

A tall man with glasses ( _They look pretty cool on him,_ Yamaguchi thought), black horns ( _??_ ) and a large reptilian tail ( _??????_ ) the same shade of gold as his hair was staring at him. He said, "Why is this human still alive."

Iwaizumi was next to him. "Yamaguchi? What are you doing here? Are you all right?"

And the third man. He smiled at Yamaguchi but didn't say anything.

Out loud, anyway. But Yamaguchi _heard_ him. When he was around animals, Yamaguchi felt their emotions and impulses. But now, he heard actual words on top of that. It did make sense; of course animals wouldn't use words and a person would. But why was it working on a person in the first place?

 _Wait. First. This guy's in trouble._ That much was crystal clear.

"Um," Yamaguchi said. "Sorry. I can explain... but first, can we, um. Help this person? He's in pain and he wants to find... Huh? Your tail? _Whatohhhhh that was a secret pleasedon'tkillme_ ," he squeaked. The man with the lost tail (???) was glaring daggers at him and thinking some very descriptive thoughts about disembowelment. 

"You what?! I thought you were just doing the Suppression thing! And won't it just grow back anyway?" asked Iwaizumi. 

"Not when the whole thing's gone," the man with the lost tail muttered.

"Do _not_  write or weave anything," the horned man commanded, before making some complicated gestures in midair. Something on his wrist glowed for a moment. 

And then Yamaguchi felt a overwhelming wave of relief from the man without a tail... well, he had one now. A white and green tail appeared on the man's backside, and right after that a pair of horns flickered into existence on his head. 

The black-horned man looked exhausted. He flopped onto the couch and looked mildly at the giant claw that had replaced one of his hands. 

"You all look like you've never seen someone lose their grip on Compression before." he said, managing to sound aloof while missing a hand. 

"So yeah," said Iwaizumi, gesturing towards the horned and tailed men. "This is Tooru and Tsukishima. They're dragons."

Yamaguchi looked at the trio in front of him.

"I probably should've called, first."

 

* * *

 

Later.

The four of them sat around the dining table.

"And that, human, is why Outer Suppression is the worst idea known to dragonkind," concluded Tsukishima.

" _Too_ -ru," Iwaizumi gave Tooru a look. Yamaguchi recognized that expression; it meant Iwaizumi wanted to get angry but couldn't. 

Tooru stuck out his bottom lip. 

"Honestly, I really wouldn't've asked you to hide your horns and tail if I knew you were going to put them in a different dimension—"

"—plane," Tsukishima interrupted.

"—plane," said Iwaizumi. "And especially not if it actually hurts to do it. _And_ it was the thing that made you so tired?" 

Tooru was looking down at his lap. "Sorry," he muttered. "Although  _somebody_ was going to kill me if I didn't weave a Portal earlier. Those are tiring too." He looked at the other dragon. Tsukishima didn't even flinch.

"Hey," Iwaizumi began. He waited for Tooru to look up before he continued. "Let's figure something else out, okay? And maybe I was overreacting. Akaashi and Bokuto don't think you're a dragon, and it didn't seem like anyone thought Tsukishima was one at the library. I'm sorry I made you think you had to hide so much."

Yamaguchi had never heard Iwaizumi's voice sound this gentle. 

"You exposed us to the other human," said Tsukishima. 

"Well yeah," Iwaizumi replied. "Yamaguchi's the one person who knows for sure Tooru and I weren't childhood friends. Plus, if he can feel your minds or whatever then he was gonna figure it out anyway. The bottom line is, I trust him."

And then Iwaizumi ruffled Tooru's hair. "It'll be okay. If other people get suspicious, we'll just—"

"Kill them all," said Tsukishima. "Obviously."

The two humans at the table went pale. 

Tooru giggled. "Thanks, everybody."

 

* * *

  

Yamaguchi volunteered to go buy some groceries to let everyone else rest. It was the least he could do for barging in.

But Tsukishima followed him. "I still don't get why you didn't die. The traps should've killed you," he said.

Yamaguchi didn't really know what to say to that. But he didn't feel anything scary or dangerous from the dragon. Plus, he definitely preferred the company of animals over humans, and Tsukishima was an animal shaped like a human. It was the best of both worlds. So what if Tsukishima seemed a little obsessed with killing people?

"Hey," said Yamaguchi, pausing in front of the dairy section. "Do you like milk at all—"

" _Stop._ Don't move," Tsukishima ordered abruptly. Yamaguchi froze. Hm. Nope, still didn't feel like he was gonna be killed. Or maybe his animal sense wasn't working right anymore... ? 

But Tsukishima was just circling around him, squinting once in a while. Finally, he declared, "You have no Spirit whatsoever."

Yamaguchi _did_ feel pretty exhausted from not sleeping last night. 

"Spirit is what powers our magic. Every living creature has some... except for you, apparently." Tsukishima explained. "It's distilled chaos and destruction. So the traps didn't trigger because you posed zero threat. As far as the traps were concerned, you were an inanimate object."

 _So my animal thing really is because they don't think I'm threatening,_  Yamaguchi thought.

"Do you hate being near other humans?" Tsukishima asked. "Theoretically, part of their Spirit would automatically invade your body to try and achieve equilibrium. Other species' Spirits would not, however." 

Yamaguchi thought for a moment. "I don't hate anybody. It's more like, crowds and strangers make me uncomfortable... but I like being around you! I guess that makes sense, huh, dragon and all, not stabbing me with your Spirit or whatever. And you're really nice. This is pretty fun right now." 

Tsukishima quickly turned away. "Well. That's. I mean. I tried to kill you," he said, stumbling over his words and pointedly not looking at Yamaguchi. 

"Nah, I don't think you did," Yamaguchi replied. 

"You really don't look or feel like other humans," Tsukishima said. "I can't read your shape."

Yamaguchi wondered if that was a compliment or an insult. Tsukishima kept looking a different way every time he tried to see if the dragon's face would give him any clues. And while he could sense Tsukishima's feelings, they were far too tangled to decipher.

"It's. Refreshing." Tsukishima muttered.

"Cool!" replied Yamaguchi. Refreshing was good. He could do refreshing. "So we can hang out. Do you like video games? The one I play has an item that looks a lot like the amplifier on your wrist."

"You... know what this is." Tsukishima turned back and stared at Yamaguchi. A glint flashed across his glasses. His horns twitched a little.

"That's actually what it is?! I didn't think it was real! This is awesome!" Yamaguchi was _thrilled_. A _dragon_ wearing _a piece of equipment from the game._  And the dragon might become his _friend._  The prospect was making him dizzy.

"Dragon scholars come to the human realm a lot," said Tsukishima. "There's been a lot of information trading over the past few centuries."

Yamaguchi nodded eagerly. 

His face was too bright for Tsukishima to handle. The dragon stared at the ceiling. "And this... I kind of invented it... and everything."

Even though the dragon felt his face burning, he couldn't help sneaking a peek at Yamaguchi to see the human's reaction.

"YOU WHAT OH MY GOD THIS IS AMAZING," Yamaguchi yelled.

"It's not a big deal," Tsukishima muttered. He didn't know how to keep his horns still and look casual while doing it. 

"Now we _have_ to play. There might be other stuff like this! And you'd like it." Yamaguchi said with perfect confidence. "At least 75% of the game is killing other people." 

Tsukishima started walking away without another word.  _He can basically read my mind, anyway._

Yamaguchi felt the dragon's feelings unravel a bit. When he figured some of it out, his smile turned into a huge grin. 

 

* * *

 

"You guys took forever!" said Tooru, grabbing some bags from Tsukishima.

"Sorry," said Yamaguchi. "I'm not used to grocery shopping for four people."

"But you're okay," Iwaizumi tried to confirm. "You're alive, but... you're not about to drop dead or anything, right?" 

"Of course not!" Yamaguchi laughed.

"The traps won't work on him anyway," said Tsukishima. Yamaguchi nodded in agreement.

Tooru frowned. "What traps? I set them off right before I passed out."

"Yeah, I saw. So I put some back in when I got here," said the other dragon.

"What are these traps?" Iwaizumi asked. "Do nets fall on you or something?"

Tsukishima scoffed. "Summon traps. We teach those to children."

"I can't believe you triggered one of  _your_ traps on Yamaguchi." Tooru buried his face in his hands. "Kei-san's have something to do with gravity. You get crushed by extreme pressure."

" _Jesus Christ_  is that why you kept wondering why Yamaguchi's not dead?!" Iwaizumi exclaimed. "I thought you just liked freaking people out or something. NO crushing or killing of any kind in this apartment, dragons. I mean it."

"My traps are just made out of Portals," Tooru grumbled indignantly. "I already promised I wouldn't kill anyone."

"Portals for what?" asked Yamaguchi. 

"A one way trip to a void dimension. Where the trapped will float on for eternity. Tooru-sama's traps are lovingly nicknamed 'Unholy Purgatories' in the army," replied Tsukishima. 

 _"Tooru!"_ Iwaizumi yelled. 

"Well, it sounds like you don't die if you get caught, at least," remarked Yamaguchi.

Iwaizumi gaped at his friend. "Dude. Tsukishima tried to crush you with super gravity or whatever. Why are you so relaxed about it?" He turned on the dragons. "And damn it, you two, NO traps in this apartment either!"

Yamaguchi shrugged. "I guess dragon traps don't work on me." 

"And to be fair," said Tsukishima, "I was ready to kill anybody. It wasn't him specifically."

"Yeah," Yamaguchi chimed in. "Tsukki's great."

Tooru did a spit take. Iwaizumi just sat there. He didn't seem to notice or care that he was now covered in milk. 

" _What_ did you call him?" they squawked together. 

"Tsukki! It's a good nickname for him, isn't it?" asked Yamaguchi.

"Shut up, Yamaguchi," said Tsukishima. _Everybody_ could tell he wasn't annoyed at all.

"And guess what?" Yamaguchi grinned. "Tsukki and I are gonna be roommates!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Update: added Featured Rune to chapter 4!]
> 
> FEATURED RUNE: TRAP (PORTAL)
> 
> In this chapter: Tooru set these in Iwaizumi's apartment before they were replaced by Tsukishima's traps
> 
> Purpose: Throws trapped being into void dimension via momentary Portal  
> Sustain: Optional. If sustained, the Runeweaver can detonate it anywhere by releasing. If set and unsustained, the Weaver must be nearby in order to detonate it with Spirit.
> 
> Complexity: 5-rune weave (very high Spirit drain)  
> Component runes: Scan + Portal (same as 2x Wayfinding + 2x Identify + Transport)
> 
> Tooru discovered this combination and is the only known user ("Because no one else is ridiculous enough to weave five runes together" - Tsukishima)
> 
> DRAGON DATA
> 
> Human/dragon names: Tsukishima Kei  
> Faction: Chaos  
> Favorite rune: none  
> Unique/bloodline ability: Spirit reading  
> Hobbies: reading (books), birdwatching, interdimensional travel
> 
> Spirit capacity: **  
> Runeworking: ***  
> Knowledge: ******  
> Stamina capacity: **  
> Strength: **


	6. Bokuto and Tooru are the Great Horned Owls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two worried roommates, one prank, and a three step plan that ends with the birth of a new legend (well, that's what Bokuto calls it).

Tooru first noticed something off when Iwa-chan had an untouched plate of stir fry next to him all night.

"Iwa-chan, aren't you hungry?" he had asked, then. "None of this has my tail in it, I swear."

There was something else two days later.

"Iwa-chan, if you keep pulling on your hair, it's gonna fall out." He felt a little sad when Iwa-chan didn't scowl at him.

On the day after that, Tooru held out a small box. "Here are those pencils you asked for, but Iwa-chan... at least stop using mechanical pencils if you're gonna keep snapping them in half."

Tooru was no stranger to stress and pressure, and he wasn't about to criticize someone for working late into the night every single day when that was his own routine. But humans were weak creatures, and Iwa-chan was getting worse and worse. By the one-week mark he had bloodshot eyes 24/7, stopped showering, and his skin had a weird, gray-green tinge that Tooru did not associate with warm-blooded animals.

Tooru bumped into Bokuto and found out Akaashi was acting the same way. Apparently Iwa-chan and Akaashi were in the same history class, and there was a huge paper due in a week. Tooru and Bokuto agreed that their roommates wouldn't last that long; they needed a quick reset before diving back in. So they came up with a plan.

**Step 1: Snap Roommate out of it.**

"Iwa-chan, I have to show you something..." Tooru said softly.

"Hm, what is it," Iwaizumi mumbled. He could barely keep himself awake.

Tooru tugged on his sleeve and made a sad, whimpering sound.

Iwaizumi rubbed his eyes and squinted. _He looks... lopsided. Bad haircut? No..._

He gasped, and the air caught in his throat. "Tooru _where_ isyourhorn," he managed to croak.

The dragon bit his lip.

"Oh my God where's your phone I don't have Tsukishima's number oh wait Yamaguchi shit I hope Tsukishima's with him—"

"Just kidding~!" Tooru said with a wink. His right horn appeared with a _pop_.

Iwaizumi closed his eyes and counted to five. He slowly put his phone down on the table and picked up a textbook. That didn't seem right to him, so he grabbed a notebook instead. It was his thinnest one; he didn't want to be too mean.

 _Fwap!_ went the notebook as Iwaizumi smacked Tooru on the head. Tooru ran for it, and the chase began.

"You are _SO DEAD_ you idiot ( _smack_ ) dumbass ( _smack_ ) stupid trash dragon ( _smack_ ) and your shitty horns ( _smack_ ) giving me a goddamn heart attack ( _smack_ )—" and so it went, with Iwaizumi trying to catch Tooru and Tooru shrieking with laughter.

Running around was way more tiring than Iwaizumi expected. He felt his body slowing down almost immediately. At first he thought it was because Tooru had Suppressed his tail to make himself faster and harder to catch. But when his knees started to wobble, he realized he was just really, really tired and hungry.

Tooru stopped running, enduring an extra two or three smacks on the head before Iwaizumi dropped the notebook.

"Tooru," he said, breathing a little heavily. "I think... I'm really tired. Do I stink? When was the last time I—"

"Come on," Tooru cut in, pushing Iwaizumi towards the couch. Which was perfect; Iwaizumi didn't think he could make it all the way to his room. 

"Take a nap. I'll come wake you up in a bit and find something for you to snack on then."

Tooru smiled. Step 1 was complete.

 

* * *

 

"Come _onnnnn_ Iwa-chan I already promised Bokuto!" Tooru whined.

Iwaizumi felt much better after that nap and a shower. Still, he wasn't sure about tonight. Other than the occasional drink with Yamaguchi, going out drinking with people wasn't something he ever even thought about.

So there was no point in starting now. "Tooru, you know I have this paper—"

"Akaashi's coming too," said Tooru. This made Iwaizumi pause and think a bit. They _were_ working on the same paper and had started researching at the same time...

And then Tooru played his trump card. "I'll clean the bathroom and take out the trash for two weeks."

"End of the month," said Iwaizumi. He hated cleaning the bathroom.

"Fine," said Tooru.

"... Fine," Iwaizumi conceded. 

 **Step 2: Get Roommate to bar at all costs** , was complete. Tooru texted Bokuto.

 

* * *

 

 Next door.

"All right," Akaashi told Bokuto. "But only because Iwaizumi came up with the idea."

Bokuto did a mental fist pump. His phone vibrated.

 **Oikawa Tooru:** Doneeee  
**Bokuto Koutarou:** Sameeee!!!  
**Bokuto Koutarou:** What you bribe him with  
**Oikawa Tooru:** Clean bathroom and trash  
**Oikawa Tooru:** For the rest of the month : <  
**Bokuto Koutarou:** Worth it  
**Bokuto Koutarou:** Let's go! We'll come get you in a sec

 

* * *

 

**Step 3: Buy Roommates beer until they're drunk.**

"But I don't have a lot of money..." Tooru had said, during what Bokuto called their "secret team meeting."

"Me neither!" Bokuto replied. "But I'm gonna tell you a really, really good secret about dating an overachiever. Since they haven't been eating or sleeping right for so long, they're gonna be drunk off their asses after like, two drinks or something. Pretty great, right? And I won't be drinking."

"Ohhhh," was Tooru's response. Bokuto really knew a lot. "I don't think I'll drink either." If he wasn't careful while drinking, he'd release into dragon form without even realizing it. Plus, he wanted to see drunk Iwa-chan _and_ remember all of it this time.

 

* * *

 

Bokuto got the table a pitcher of beer to share. Tooru ended up having a little bit, but even then the rest was more than enough to grant his wish. 

Except _this_. He absolutely did not want to remember this: the excitement he felt when Akaashi and Iwa-chan said they would serenade him and Bokuto... brutally crushed by the pain of actually listening to them sing. Both Tooru and Bokuto cringed. It was just. Really. Bad. 

"But see?" said Bokuto, trying to block out the noise. "Look at how relaxed they look. Just listen to me, your senpai in the art of being a good roommate, and you'll be a _great_ roommate in no time!"

Tooru considered this. "Well, we're being really great roommates right now by not shutting them up, right?" he asked.

"Yep," said Bokuto. "But... we should save ourselves now."

 

* * *

 

A little bit later.

"I mean, it's _sho_ shtupid, right," said Iwaizumi. "Shtupid! Heh. I mean, papers. Papers."

" _Papers,_ " Akaashi echoed with a heavy dose of venom. He threw a sharp glance at Tooru and Bokuto.

"Um, papers?" Tooru squeaked. That look was scary.

"Papers!" Bokuto cheered. "Are bad!"

"Yeah! _Fuck this shit!_ " Akaashi yelled, and slammed his fists on the table. Hard. And then he did it again. Tooru lunged to catch the wobbling, not-quite-empty pitcher, and Bokuto carefully took Akaashi's glass away from him before it broke and/or became a weapon.

"Oh my God," Tooru whispered to Bokuto. "Who _is_ he?"

"Yeah, Akaashi's totally an angry drunk. It's kind of a big secret since he always volunteers to drive. The last time we drank was at home, and he kicked a hole through the door," said Bokuto.

Tooru nodded with understanding. "Iwa-chan used a sword the one time I saw him drunk."

The two of them looked at each other.

"Maybe we should stop them now."  
"I don't really want to die."  
"Yeah, let's go close the tab."

 

* * *

 

Tooru and Bokuto squeezed their way through a tightly packed crowd, only to find two men crowding the bartender. One of the men seized the bartender's collar. Bokuto stuck his arm in front of Tooru to stop him in his tracks.

"Stay back. Don't get hurt," said Bokuto. And then he ran up and shoved that man to the ground.

The other guy was trying to sneak up on Bokuto and attack him from behind. Tooru didn't want to draw too much attention to himself, and the first rule of dragon warfare was to protect  _yourself_. You don't fly into someone else's battle. But he wasn't going to leave Bokuto out there alone. They had a team meeting and were a real team and _that's not what teammates do._

So Tooru was next to Bokuto in an instant. "Outside," he said, and grabbed one of the men by his forearm. There was a sharp cracking sound and the man started to scream bloody murder. Several people gasped.

 _Oops,_ thought Tooru. He was always better at controlling Spirit than his physical strength. "Come on!" he urged Bokuto, but Bokuto was already dragging the other man towards the front door.

Both thugs were done after one punch. That was the only way it would ever play out, for anyone dumb and unfortunate enough to try and throw down with a nationally-ranked college athlete and a dragon. It _was_ sort of anticlimactic, but Bokuto was grateful. He threw an arm around Tooru. "Man, I'm glad you were here. I would've messed up my hand if I had to take both of them. And then angry drunk Akaashi would either murder me tonight or the team would tomorrow. So thanks buddy!"

Tooru grinned, but then his expression went dark. People definitely heard and saw him break that man's arm like a twig. He wasn't sure what he'd do if someone confronted him.

Then again, he also didn't regret charging in. He had to act against his own instincts, but that helped make sure Bokuto was okay.

The two of them went back inside. Everything was back to normal, and no one even looked in their direction as they approached the bar again.

The bartender, however, greeted them like heroes.

"My guy was out sick today. So it's just me, and I'm no fighter. I don't know what would've happened if you two didn't step in," he said to Bokuto and Tooru. "Don't even think about paying your tab, it's on the house."

And then he looked at their order and laughed. "Not big drinkers, eh?"

Bokuto and Tooru looked at each other. "Just taking a study break," they explained.

The man nodded approvingly. "Tell you what. I'll throw in a little discount whenever you drink here. Bring your friends. I'll tell the gal who's here on weekends, too. You're fine, young men, you two."

Bokuto and Tooru looked at each other with huge grins.

"Go team!" Bokuto yelled. They high-fived. Tooru couldn't be happier.

There was one more problem. Tooru tapped Bokuto on the shoulder after they said goodbye to the bartender. "Could you, um, not tell Iwa-chan what happened? He... worries... " _... about me being a dragon_ , he completed silently.

"What, really?" Bokuto seemed surprised. "You actually don't want him to know? Then... can I tell Akaashi I beat up both guys? He'd be into that."

Tooru laughed. "That works perfectly. We're good teammates!" he said. 

"YEAH!" shouted Bokuto. "The Great Horned Owls have captured their prey!" He announced to Iwaizumi and Akaashi back at their table, posing like a superhero with his chest puffed out and fists against his hips.

"The what?" Tooru asked.

"People used to call me that in high school. Nobody does any more, but it's perfect for our team! I have an owl face, and you have horns!" Bokuto explained. "It's too bad you don't have wings or something."

"Wuzzat?" asked Iwaizumi. Akaashi was asleep.

"We're on a team and we're called the Great Horned Owls," said Tooru.

Iwaizumi stared at him. "Dorks."

"Rude, Iwa-chan!" Tooru protested.

Bokuto laughed and slapped Tooru on the back. "Let's go home. I'll drive."

 

* * *

 

"Iwa-chan~" Tooru called softly. "Are you grumpy and hungover?"

The door opened. Iwaizumi emerged, looking fresh-faced and energized. "Nope. I feel great, actually. And... thanks for last night. When we got home I slept like the dead and I think I can think a little better now."

"But did you have fun?" Tooru asked.

Iwaizumi laughed. "Yeah, except for those times when it seemed like Akaashi was gonna flip our table over and hulk out."

The thought made Tooru shudder. He wouldn't be surprised if drunk Akaashi could break a guy's arm like he did. 

But that was beside the point. "'Kay, good," said Tooru. "That wasn't so bad, right? Do you think we can get Yamaguchi and Kei-san to come next time?"

 _Huh._  Iwaizumi thought about it. If it was lowkey like last night, maybe Yamaguchi would like it too. A small part of him also wanted to see drunk Akaashi and Tsukishima square off. Or maybe they could all hang out here one night... ?

"Let's see what they think," he said. Tooru nodded with approval.

Iwaizumi frowned for a moment. "But I'm sorry you and Bokuto didn't get to have fun."

Tooru grinned. "Nope, we had a great time. And I'm happy I got to make you stop drinking before you brought another dragon roommate home."

Iwaizumi rolled his eyes and held back a smile. He flicked Tooru lightly on the forehead. "Like I'd do that. Idiot."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FEATURED RUNE: OUTER SUPPRESSION
> 
> In this chapter: Used to hide Tooru's horn and tail
> 
> Purpose: Suppress an object that is the target of a Compression rune but cannot be Compressed. 
> 
> Like any rune that moves objects across planes or dimensions, a poorly woven Outer Suppression might shift the target object(s) to the wrong plane. Highly problematic as this is not obvious until the Runeweaver tries to release. 
> 
> Sustain: Yes. Releasing moves the object back to its original position relative to the Runeweaver.
> 
> Complexity: 3-rune weave (high Spirit drain)  
> Component runes: Compression + Suppression (same as Compression + Identify + Transport)


	7. Getting a cold is the least of a dragon's worries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ... or so Tooru thought, but when do expectations ever really match reality?

Iwaizumi always stayed in bed all day when it was this hot and humid. Doing anything in the heat was just too exhausting to be worth the trouble, plus he was still sleep-deprived from the last round of exams.

He trudged out of his room for some water before going back to his nap and found a dragon on the kitchen floor.

Tooru was sprawled out, face down, with his head turned to the side so that he could still tap away on his phone with one hand. His other hand was a set of three clawed dragon toes. And instead of a shirt, his back was covered in glimmering white scales.

"Cold-blooded. Cold surface," Tooru groaned. He didn't even try to turn his head; it was too much. "Can you dump some ice on me while you're up?"

Iwaizumi wrapped some dish towels around a few reusable ice packs and placed them on Tooru's neck and back. "Your scales are showing. Is that bad?"

"No, I just didn't wanna stay Compressed all the way. Usually it just feels like wearing tight clothes, but right now it's like stuffing myself into a sweaty, rubber suit."

Iwaizumi was about to suggest filling the tub with cold water and getting in, when that reminded him of a conversation he once had...

It wasn't the best idea, and they would need to wait a couple hours for this to work, but it was better than nothing.

"Hey, Tooru, what are you up to later today?"

 

* * *

 

"Iwa-channn thank yooooou this is the _beeeeest_."

"Tell me when to move, okay? Or when you want a break." said Iwaizumi. He was lounging on a fold-out beach chair with a book in one hand and aiming a hose at dragon-Tooru with the other. It hadn't gotten that much cooler by the late afternoon, but being outside was bearable now that there was a little bit of a breeze and the roof was fully shaded by the buildings nearby.

"'Kaayyyy," Tooru replied, before going back to doodling runes in midair with one clawed toe.

It was quiet. Peaceful. The sound of rushing water muffled the noises from the streets below, and the only time they needed to talk was when Tooru wanted water in a different spot. Before today, Iwaizumi never understood why anyone would want company when they were doing something so clearly solitary like reading. But something like this... was really nice.

 

* * *

 

Tooru woke up on the roof. It was cold. It looked sort of dark, but not really... did they sleep all night up here? _Storm clouds_ , he realized, when a few drips landed on his face. 

 _And why am I Compressed?_ Other than the time he'd passed out at the library, Tooru had never gone to sleep in one form and woken up in another.

He felt a strange pressure in his head. Something moist tickled his nose...

"Ew ew ew ew ew what is this I can't breathe get it out get it out _get it ouuuuut!_ " Tooru wailed. _And why do I sound like this?!_

Iwaizumi snapped to attention, nearly stumbling out of the beach chair.

"Iwa-annnnn helb meeeee!" the dragon whined.

Iwaizumi rubbed his eyes. Nope, he was seeing exactly what he thought he saw.

"Tooru. Why are you trying to pull snot out your nose with your fingers and a claw?"

 

* * *

 

 

It took a while for Iwaizumi to calm Tooru down. Apparently dragons only got sick if poisoned, and nasal mucus just wasn't a thing for them. He told Tooru about blowing his nose and made him practice. And then he sent off a few quick texts: to Bokuto and Akaashi, canceling their brunch plans, and to Yamaguchi, hoping he could ask Tsukishima for some advice. He didn't hear back right away, but fortunately this seemed more like a normal human cold than a dragon thing anyway.

"Ah don' geddit," Tooru whined, curled up on the couch and sipping a cup of tea. He liked that the steam was making it a little easier for him to breathe.

"Blow your nose," said Iwaizumi, handing him a tissue.

"I don't get why I have a human disease," Tooru said. "It's making my Spirit act all funny, see?" He held out his foot. It was _pulsating_ —the toenails started extending into claws, and his toes were fusing together into three larger ones. But it stopped part way, and shrank into something that mostly looked like a human foot. Back, and forth, and back, and forth.

"It's okay," Iwaizumi said, after examining Tooru's foot and working very hard to look calm and collected. "Colds go away if you rest and get lots of fluids. And this must be a cold symptom or something, so it'll go away soon too."

He hoped so, anyway.

Tooru was picking at the edge of the tissue box and pouting. It's not like Iwaizumi was 100% confident himself, but the dragon looked so lost and sad that he had to do something.

"I'll go run to the store. Do you know what—"

Tooru made a quiet, nasally sound. He was shivering. "...Can you stay?"

For a moment, Iwaizumi was stunned by the look on Tooru's face. It was a look that just looked so bizarre and foreign on someone as cheerful and outgoing as Tooru. But it wasn't just that. He knew this face for some reason, even though he was _positive_  he'd never seen Tooru look like this before. Still, he knew exactly what it meant; it was so clear that he wondered if this was like what Yamaguchi experienced with the dragons.

The look screamed "I'm alone and it hurts and I'm scared" and "I don't understand and I don't know what to do." Iwaizumi remembered a vague, distant promise to himself. _If it survives, I won't let it feel like this again._

That still didn't clear anything up for him, but for now he just fetched a blanket and did his best to bundle Tooru up. And then, before his brain caught up with the rest of him, he pulled the bundle into his arms.

"I'm sorry," he spoke softly into Tooru's hair. "I shouldn't've fallen asleep. You must've been really uncomfortable."

Tooru adjusted his tail so that he was better balanced on Iwaizumi's lap. "You've been stressed out and needed sleep. Don't be sorry," he whispered, and settled in closer. His breathing slowed and he stopped shaking.

Iwaizumi thought back to that vague memory/promise/dream again, wondering _how_ and _where_ and _when_.

His thoughts were interrupted by a loud knock at the front door and a horn smashing into his nose. _Hard._

 _No wonder these things aren't Compressible or whatever_ , he thought, and grimaced when he touched something wet coming from his nose.

Tooru looked horrified. "Iwa-chan I'm sorry I didn't mean to—"

"Shh!" Iwaizumi had no plans to answer the door. Not when Tooru's foot looked like that.

Someone was unlocking the door. "Iwaizumi? Tooru-san? We're coming in!" Iwaizumi sighed with relief. Just Yamaguchi and Tsukishima.

He was half right.

"Hey hey hey! Where's the patient?" they heard, even before the door fully opened.

"Shit!" Iwaizumi gritted through his teeth, sliding Tooru off his lap and running to the door. "Hey, uh, hang on, guys!" he yelled. He practically ran into the door to slam it shut, caught his breath, then very slowly reopened the door just enough for him to slip outside.

"Uh," said Yamaguchi. "Tsukki said to give this to Tooru-san."

Iwaizumi just wanted this conversation to end as quickly as possible. "Thanks," he replied. "Tell him I really appreciate it."

"And, ah, it's Bokuto-san, right? He brought some food." said Yamaguchi.

Bokuto stood behind Yamaguchi, holding at least five bags of groceries.

"Whoa." Iwaizumi said, because _whoa_. That much food would probably get them through at least a week or two. "You really didn't have to—"

"Don't worry about it. Owls look out for each other!" Bokuto proclaimed with a fist pump. Without putting any bags down.

(Well, he wasn't the volleyball team's ace for nothing.)

Iwaizumi tried to take the groceries from him. "Ah, uh, thanks. Really. I can take this inside. Tooru's not—"

"Iwaizumi," Yamaguchi interrupted. "Did you break your nose?!"

"Sick! _And_ injured! Now I really have to help out!" Bokuto said cheerfully, heading inside.

Except Iwaizumi didn't push the door open for them like Bokuto probably expected. So then Bokuto was a millisecond away from crashing right into Iwaizumi, but he caught himself and staggered back instead.

Right into Yamaguchi, who fell on the concrete.

Iwaizumi winced. "Ah, sorry. Are you okay?" He was about to step forward and give Yamaguchi a hand, but then he'd be leaving the door unguarded. So, against his better judgement, he stayed put. Bokuto, though, freed one of his hands and held it out with a grin.

When Yamaguchi gave Bokuto's hand an experimental tug, he realized that there was zero give. Bokuto's arm didn't budge at all, even with a(n admittedly skinny) 21 year old guy pulling on it with all his might to lift himself off the ground.

So he probably didn't need to pull as hard as he did. Plus Bokuto gave him a little bit of help when he was almost upright.

"Whooaaaaa!" Yamaguchi yelled as he practically flew forward right into Iwaizumi. 

Iwaizumi caught Yamaguchi, but not before Yamaguchi's head knocked into his face.

Bokuto scratched his head and gave Yamaguchi an apologetic look. He seemed really embarrassed. Yamaguchi shook his head no and regretted it right away. That _hurt._ But if his head hurt, then Iwaizumi...

... was doubled over with his hand over his face.

"Iwaizumi. Crap. I'm sorry! Um... " Yamaguchi's heart was racing; he could _hear_ it. That looked like _a lot_ of blood, what was he supposed to do?! He's handled much worse at the clinic, but Iwaizumi's _human_ and—

"Come on!" said Bokuto. "Let's get you cleaned up! I broke my nose all the time in high school—"

 _Wait oh man was this guy a delinquent?_ Yamaguchi thought.

"—and the guys hurt their hands a lot—"

 _'The guys'? A gang? From fighting??_ His mind started racing with all the times he was beat up in middle school, taking long detours and not going to certain stores just to avoid the places where _they_ tended to hang out—

"Hey guy! If your head's okay, can you help me bring some of these inside so I can get him to the bathroom?" He asked Yamaguchi. "The blue bag's got eggs in it."

Yamaguchi looked at the bags; five pink and one blue. _He went to two different stores just for a sick neighbor? Sure, it seemed like they were friends, too, but... ?_

He realized that the anxiety he felt around Bokuto was not because Bokuto was intensely violent. He was just  _intense._

_Yeah. This person is actually pretty amazing, just like Iwaizumi._

... Except right now, Iwaizumi was anything but.

"Look," Iwaizumi said, pushing Bokuto away with a firm hand. "I know you guys went through a lot of trouble, but you really need to leave."

This felt so wrong. _Who are you?!_ Yamaguchi wanted to yell.

Iwaizumi felt as surprised as Yamaguchi and Bokuto looked. Going against the flow in general—and doing it like this, no less—wasn't like him at all. He felt guilty and unsettled. But what drove him into acting this way was that feeling he kept getting, the one from that fuzzy memory that was bothering him, the _need_ he had when Akaashi and Bokuto were in his apartment for the first time...

He heard the door creak behind him and spun around.

"Tooru! What the—" Iwaizumi grabbed the doorknob to hold the door still.

"Why can't they come in?" Tooru asked.

"Sorry, be right back," Iwaizumi muttered to Bokuto and Yamaguchi, and he slipped back inside.

"What do you mean?" Iwaizumi whispered. "You know—"

"Iwa-chan did I do that to your face?!" Tooru's hand started shaking.

"No, no. Just karma, I think," said Iwazumi. "But that doesn't matter. We can't let Bokuto in!" He insisted.

"Bokuto's our friend," Tooru said simply.

"Yeah, but—"

"Iwa-chan." Tooru was staring right into Iwaizumi's eyes. "Why is it okay for you to tell Yamaguchi but not okay for me to tell Bokuto?"

_Because Yamaguchi's my friend. Because he'd take it in stride. Because he's trustworthy. Because—_

But as soon as these thoughts came to Iwaizumi, he realized all of these answers implied the opposite about Bokuto. And that was just plain wrong.

"Please?" Tooru asked. "You always say Bokuto and Akaashi are good people. You mean it, right?"

"Yeah, but—" Iwaizumi stopped himself. Again, he was at a loss for words. Those feelings aside, he shouldn't be telling his friends who they could and couldn't see. And he probably needed Bokuto to look at his nose 5 minutes ago.

He closed his eyes and counted to five.

"Okay," he said, and opened the door wide.

Bokuto was waiting with a grin and a bag of frozen berries. He let Iwaizumi ice his nose and helped him to the bathroom. 

 

* * *

 

Tooru's was showing Yamaguchi his foot morphing thing. Somehow, Yamaguchi looked panicked _and_ curious.

"WHOOOAAA!" Bokuto yelled, when he and Iwaizumi joined them in the living room. "Can all dragons do that, or is it special magic you have to learn? Tooru. Is there dragon Hogwarts!?"

"Wh-wh-what?!" Iwaizumi spluttered.

Tooru and Bokuto both turned to stare right at him. _They really actually look like owls,_ he thought. It was a little unnerving.

"Sorry," Bokuto laughed. "Is that a dumb question? Wikipedia doesn't really say much about dragons. Wait. WAIT. Is there dragon Wikipedia?! Can you send me the link?!"

Iwaizumi slumped back against the wall for support. "Wait, you _know?_ "

"Yeah man! How many people do you meet with cool horns and a big lizard tail?"

This was not the conversation Iwaizumi thought he'd be having. "But— you never said—" 

"I don't ask any of my human friends if they're human," Bokuto said by way of explanation.

Yamaguchi was really impressed by Bokuto, now.

"Iwa-chan worries too much," said Tooru, nibbling at some milk bread.

 

* * *

 

Iwaizumi was pacing around his bedroom.

"We don't usually do this without beer, but you wanna talk?" Yamaguchi asked.

Iwaizumi ran his hand through his hair. "Did I... cross the line? How am I supposed to know if I do or don't? I just, I mean, it's for his—"

"No don't say it!" Yamaguchi tried to cut him off.

"—own good."

Yamaguchi cringed. "At least now I can say for sure you've crossed the line into Being Like My Mom territory. I know my parents mean well, but I just can't bring myself to do what they're telling me to do. I'm just not the type of person who can go out every weekend or start conversations with strangers. And I'm definitely not the type to run around the apartment naked with my friends. But you and Tsukki both say that there's no problem with me playing video games and studying all day. That I can do my thing and still be all right. Shouldn't it be the same for Tooru-san?"

Iwaizumi said nothing.

"I mean... you're right and he's right too, whether or not the two of you agree. Everyone figures out how to be happy in their own way, I guess..." Yamaguchi trailed off. Iwaizumi was still quiet, and he was worried. _I said a lot. Maybe it was too much._

"Can you... He..." said Iwaizumi. His face was red. "Do you know... I mean, is it okay... Wait, never mind..."

"Dude. You sound like me giving a presentation," Yamaguchi said with a little laugh. "What is it?"

Iwaizumi seemed more like he was talking to himself than to Yamaguchi. "I mean... you're right. I know you're right. But he's probably... I can't just... Talking would be..."

Yamaguchi sighed. "Listen. I think when you don't talk to someone about a problem, it's bad news. Actually, I _know_. Trust me on this, because I don't confront people 99.9% of the time and it builds up. It starts making everything harder. And then it because A Problem and gets really, really bad."

Iwaizumi acknowledged this with a nod, but it didn't seem like he was going to say anything or do anything else.

Yamaguchi was about to sigh again when he realized that probably seemed condescending, and maybe all of his rambling was too? He shook off the idea. This was Iwaizumi, and this was important.

He had an idea. "I'm only gonna do this once because it's serious cheating, but since I get to do it to Tsukki all the time I guess this is okay... anyway. Umm." He closed his eyes. There was a little more distance between him and the dragon this time around.

"Tooru-san's not mad. Wait, there's some anger, he's pretty angry about snot? Why would he... I don't really get that part. But I can't feel any fight-or-flight urges at all, even though he's sick. He actually seems satisfied... ? Is that the right word? To me it's the feeling I get when I go home to visit and my mom makes my favorite food."

Iwaizumi let go of the breath he didn't know he was holding. "Thanks. Seriously. I should talk to Bokuto too..."

Yamaguchi grinned. Iwaizumi was always the one helping and reassuring him, but maybe this time he managed to do a little bit of the same.

 

* * *

 

Yamaguchi gave his friend a pat on the back and rejoined Tooru on the couch. Iwaizumi found Bokuto putting some of the leftover food in the fridge.

"Hey, Bokuto, uh," Iwaizumi began, "I'm sorry for what—"

"Nope!" Bokuto said into the fridge.

Maybe Bokuto didn't hear him right. "I mean, earlier at the door—"

"Hmmm. You know what I think, friend? No one ever needs to apologize for trying to protect someone else. You're just like Akaashi..." Bokuto emerged from the fridge with a dreamy look. Iwaizumi gave him a few moments.

"I mean,  _I_ think Akaashi's perfect, but even he gets it wrong sometimes. My idea ends up working out, or both of us are off and we think of something else. Sometimes that 'something else' ends up being the best! But you don't even think of 'something else' if you're 'definitely right' or 'definitely wrong,' right?"

This took a moment for Iwaizumi to digest. Usually, Akaashi was there to untangle the words a bit... but he thought he got the jist of what Bokuto was saying.

"Now!" said Bokuto. "As your senpai in the art of being a good roommate, I give you THIS!"

It was the pickled cabbage Iwaizumi made a couple days ago.

"He specifically asked for it," said Bokuto. "And there's a ton of stuff I gotta put away here still."

 _Bokuto. Yamaguchi. Everyone else, too. I'm just a normal guy,_ thought Iwaizumi, _but I ended up with some really great friends._

 

* * *

 

"I wish I could send you back in a Portal! But if I tried to weave one now, you'd probably lose a leg or two. 's hard to concentrate." Tooru said. "Maybe next time!"

Yamaguchi's eyes went wide. "Really?! That would be AWESOME!" He bet these portals were probably just like warp gates from the game. Tsukki would know; he'd be sure to ask when he got home.

Iwaizumi wondered if living with Tsukishima made Yamaguchi automatically ignore everything related to dismemberment or death. 

Tooru gave Yamaguchi a big grin. "Text me when you wanna come over. I'll open one between your apartment and here so Kei-san doesn't have to fly and you guys won't have to take the train!"

Yamaguchi gave him a thumbs up, waved goodbye to everyone, and headed home.

It was time. Iwaizumi went into the living room.

Tooru didn't even let Iwaizumi sit down before he started talking.

"Iwa-chan, I really wanna believe in my teammates. My friends. It just feels right," he said. "And it's just like at home... nothing's black and white, victory and loss, Chaos and Harmony. It's easier to think like that, but it's really... not..." 

Tooru spaced out a bit, but he caught himself and continued. "And I agree that not everybody should know I'm a dragon, but I don't think it should be ' _nobody can know_.'"

"Yeah, no, you're right." Iwaizumi was embarrassed. He really never thought of things this way. "I should do the same thing."

"I'm gonna tell Bokuto it's okay to tell Akaashi, too. But that's it, promise," Tooru said.

"Yeah, of course. It's a good idea, " Iwaizumi replied. He just assumed Bokuto would tell Akaashi... damn. Bokuto would respect Tooru's wishes; Iwaizumi was still underestimating his teammate without knowing it. 

"Plus, Iwa-chan did that because he _liiiikes_ me," Tooru teased.

Iwaizumi adjusted Tooru's blankets. "Well, yeah, we're roommates and everything."

When he saw Tooru's horns twitching, he couldn't help himself.

"Can I, um. Touch your horns. It's not weird, right?"

Tooru laughed. He lowered his head to point his horns at Iwaizumi and wiggled them a bit.

"ME TOO!" Bokuto yelled, and jumped on the couch.

"It kinda feels like a dragon group hug," Tooru said, leaning back into the couch with a happy sigh.

 

* * *

 

"Bokuto, have you met Kei-, I mean, Tsukishima?" Tooru asked. They were scrolling through the movies Iwaizumi had on his laptop.

"When Tooru passed out that one time and you brought us home. The other dragon with me," Iwaizumi supplied. 

"Oh! Yeah! I remember him! Glasses guy."

Tooru nodded. "He's probably the closest thing to a dragon Wikipedia."

Iwaizumi flinched a little. It's not like he and Tsukishima were best friends, but he still felt a little bit bad. The next time Bokuto and Tsukishima met, it was going to be hell for the dragon. 

_Or it might just be fun to watch._

But for now, it was peaceful. They watched movies and ate snacks and talked about dragons and schools and volleyball. By the time Bokuto left, Tooru was still feeling stuffy and weird and exhausted. To him, the whole concept of a dragon being affected by human dimension germs was ridiculous.

But he also thought that if you took out the whole having-a-cold bit, today would've been perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not a lot of magic in this chapter, so it's just me talking at you this time:
> 
> Thank you for sticking with this fic so far! The AU is a pretty big change from my KimiUso one, so I hope I didn't disappoint anyone too much by writing about dragon snot.
> 
> The final story arc (if you can even call it that) starts next chapter! There will be one last new major-character dragon plus two who make quick appearances. Please look forward to it!


	8. [Interlude] This was the first time the two of them met

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Neither of them would remember everything from that night. But the feelings they shared, yet didn't understand: are those stronger than memories?
> 
> _I don't want to be alone anymore. You look like you get it._
> 
> _I know what it's like to be sad and scared and confused because no one is there to help. And to keep all of that bottled up inside._
> 
> _I don't want you to go. Don't. So I can make sure you don't feel like this any more._

It was the first time he'd messed up on a Portal.

 _First and last,_ Tooru corrected himself.

Just one crooked stroke towards the bottom of the weave and here he was in the human dimension. How annoying... to end up here after just barely escaping that army of humans. 

At least the humans _here_ were too weak to kill him. Which was just fine; he wanted to die alone, not while that stupid, self-righteous dragon and his stupid human battalions were chasing after him. 

Besides, he sort of liked the human dimension. There was good food and movies and a lot you couldn't find back home. 

And the landscape here was much nicer. He lucked out on that part; the Portal dumped him in a forest near a nice mountain lake. It was late at night, too. Other than the rustle of leaves and the occasional owl hooting, it was quiet. Peaceful. And

_Rarghhhh! What the HELL is that sound goddamnit_

 

* * *

 

Iwaizumi liked to keep things simple: Yamaguchi told him to walk. Yamaguchi was smart. So he walked. And walked. He picked up a six-pack at the store and walked some more.

There were a lot of trees, and the ground didn't look comfortable. Yamaguchi said to walk, but it was probably okay to take a break? To stay hydrated.

The moonlight was a little stronger in one direction, where the forest was less dense. He stumbled there and ended up at a lake. A lake! He liked those. And he was in a good mood from hanging out with Yamaguchi. He felt good in general, actually, even after sobering up a bit, so he cracked open a beer and started singing.

 

* * *

 

_Please let me die my ears are bleeding why is this happening_

Tooru searched for the source of his misery and saw some movement in the trees. He tensed as if ready to charge, even though he couldn't actually fight back or escape.

_A human! Of fucking course._

A human who was ruining his whole "die in peace with a least a scrap of dignity" plan.

Tooru did the only thing he could.

 

* * *

 

_RAWRRRRRRRRR_

A nice warm breeze hit Iwaizumi, but it was kind of loud? Huh.

_Oh. It's a dragon! I like those._

"Oi! Hey! 'dyou come to drink wi'me?" Iwaizumi asked the dragon. He'd tried drinking alone before, but it was kind of boring.

"Human. Did you just _'oi'_ me?!" The dragon boomed menacingly.

_Jeez. This dragon was really loud._

"Hey man. Or... not? Uh. Can you not do that loud echo-y thing when you talk? Is hard t'understand and the neighbors. The _neighbors_." 

The dragon's jaw dropped in shock. 

"But not so quiet!" Iwaizumi laughed. "Can't hear ya. Or you jus' wanna drink? 'ere," he offered, swinging the cans of beer around to show the dragon.

"Go. Away," the dragon hissed.

"'kay," Iwaizumi said with a shrug. "But you can't sleep here. There's camping. Camping people."

"I'm not sleeping. Leave me alone or die, human," the dragon growled.

"Well, maybe you _should_ sleep. Grumpy," Iwaizumi replied.

The dragon rolled its eyes and let its head drop to the ground. It looked exhausted. "Will you just _go away_ I'm trying to _die_ here!" it pleaded.

Iwaizumi stared at the dragon for a moment, and then he completely lost it. "Oh my God is that your real voice?" He howled with laughter. "Are you _whining_? Hah oh man you're adorable. A _dor_ able."

"Wh-what?" The dragon stammered.

"How 'bout, you die over there, I drink over here. Then you go someplace safe and I'll leave after'm done. 'kay?"

 

* * *

 

Since when were humans  _this_ naive?

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Tooru yelled. 

The human frowned at him. All this yelling was sobering him up. "You talk a lot for someone who's dying. What's wrong with you anyway? You don't look messed up at all. No one chopped your head off, you have wings, and your scales still look really pretty so I don't really get—"

_What?_

And then the human started to inspect him.

"No, wait! Stop!" Tooru insisted. Death wish or not, showing your mortal wound to a stranger was never a good idea. Even if they were harmless and drunk and kind of cute.

"Oi, this thing?" The human laughed, ducking under one of Tooru's wings to the spot where that goddamned sword was buried in his side.

"I mean, it looks fancy but this is like, a toothpick to you, right? You seriously dying because of this? Here," said the human, and started tugging on the sword.

"Stop it, you'll die! That sword—" 

And then Tooru realized the human hadn't been vaporized by the sword on contact. Odd. "Human. Are you—"

"Ow!" The human yelped. "Damn. What _is_ this stuff? Is it your blood? Why is it green? It kinda hurts."

Tooru winced at the human's total lack of survival instinct. He could _hear_ his blood fizzing on the idiot's hands. "Dragon blood is poisonous to humans! Stop touching it!" He tried to push the human away with his wing.

"Stop moving around, dumbass!" The human shooed the wing away with one hand while pulling on the sword with the other. "Just a little more... Got it!"

Tooru gasped. The agonizing pain from the puncture wound and the numbness that the sword's magic had spread all over the rest of his body... gone. Spirit could flow. He could regenerate again.

The human flung the sword to the ground and wiped his hands on his shorts. "Ugh. There. Can we drink now?"

 

* * *

 

"Come over here, human." The dragon said. "Show me your hands."

Iwaizumi hesitated. His hands hurt for some reason, but it would hurt even more if the dragon ate them. Still, he did what he was told.

Seconds later, the blisters and burns on his palms disappeared. ( _How'd those get there?_  ) His hands and forearms, dyed green by dragon blood and covered in a dense web of purple veins, were normal and healthy again.

Best of all, the biggest worry he had when his hands started to hurt now vanished.

"Whoo! Now I can hold my beer! Go team!" Iwaizumi held out his hand for a high-five. It took him a while before he realized that wasn't gonna happen.

The dragon sighed, waved a claw in the air for a bit, and a couple of huge kegs appeared in front of him.

Iwaizumi's jaw dropped. _COOL._

"Whoooaa. How'd you do that? Isn't that like, a Jesus thing?" He asked.

" _Ughhh_ why are humans so stupid that was just a Portal to my—never mind." The dragon muttered. "Come on, let's drink."

 

* * *

 

Twenty minutes later.

"Just, Iwa-channnn, they, they keep trying to _kill_ meeee and I jus' want it to _stoooop wahhhhh_ —"

"Ohhhkay so you're a weepy drunk. It's Tooru, right? There, there," Iwaizumi said, patting the dragon's leg. He wished he had some tissues.

He did, at least, have an idea. "Just kill 'em back!" he suggested, picking up the sword and swinging it around while making lightsaber sounds.

"I am!" Tooru wailed. "But I don't like it. I wanna see what it's like to have friends. Humans do it right. You guys can eat together without trying to take a bite out of someone else's wing, and you can even live together without murdering anyone. I want that but, but, _buhh dragons are so stupid an'_ —"

Tooru was about to burst into tears again. Iwaizumi didn't like that. "Heyyy, hey, 'sall right. Other dragons are dumb, okay? But you're not. I bet that guy... dragon... guy... chasing after you would've killed me, but you didn't. So you're a good dragon."

"... really?" Tooru asked hopefully.

"Yep," said Iwaizumi.

"But Iwa-chan, why don't you like living with other people? Did your roommate try to kill you too?" Tooru asked.

"No, but it's _seriously_ just as bad. Maybe _worse_." Iwaizumi shuddered. "He wouldn't wash or clean, I'm pretty sure I heard he had athlete's foot on his back, he was rude to everybody and late with rent and UGH."

Tooru thought about this. He'd have to look some of those things up later, but they did sound bad. "Why didn't you kill him then?" 

Iwaizumi shrugged. "Dunno. I guess I don't think I'd like killing either. Plus, he left, so I'm living alone again. It'll be better. Mind my own business. That's how I _roll_ , Tooru."

 _Minding your own business: that was Survival 101 for any dragon._ "So then..." Tooru wondered out loud. "Why'd you pull the sword out? Why help me? "

"Why?" Iwaizumi frowned at him. "'Cause you were dying? I mean if I had to, like, sew your foot back on or something I wouldn't've done it. I don't like sewing. Sewing buttons back on is the worst."

"But you burned your hands." Tooru said.

"But you were dying." Iwaizumi repeated.

"But you burned your hands!" yelled Tooru. He was close to tears again. 

"But you were dying!" Iwaizumi said stubbornly.

"..." 

Tooru gave up. But now, he kind of wanted to be like that, to be a "why  _wouldn't_ I help you" kind of dragon. Iwaizumi made it seem so simple.

"Iwa-chan's the best human," he decided aloud. "None of the other humans I've met would ever help a dragon. None of the other dragons would, either, unless it's part of their job. Everyone only cares about themselves."

 _I_ _ncluding me_ , he thought sadly. Could he ever change? It wasn't the first time the idea crossed his mind, except trying to help another dragon would get him killed. _But that's not a problem here..._

Iwaizumi was blushing. He didn't expect being the "best" at something would feel so good. "Aw, well, thanks," he said. "I bet you're the best dragon. You fought an army by yourself and you lived and I like talking to you and you're listening to me annnd you didn't try to eat me. So. I mean I think you're the best, but I'm just some guy right?" He tried to laugh, but something about that didn't seem funny at all...

"You're not!" Tooru insisted. You're the best human and you should have the best roommate to help pull swords out of you and not be rude and clean."

Iwaizumi thought about this. He moved here to study, so every day was mostly that and volleyball. He was getting through school just fine with the way things were now. But what if it could actually be better?

He didn't really need the _best_ roommate, just not a repeat of Garga the Destroyer of Rental Deposits and Iwaizumi's Soul. A clean, not-rude, normal roommate meant that they could potentially hang out like this and have a lot of fun. And yeah, that _would_ be better.

"You know what?" he concluded. "It wouldn't be so bad to have a normal roommate who acts like a normal roommate. Right? Right?! _Is that too much to ask?!_ " Iwaizumi yelled. He was getting pretty into this.

"No!" Tooru shouted, slamming his tail on the ground. "And all I want is for other dragons to stop plotting my assassination. Is _that_ too much to ask!?"

"No!" shouted Iwaizumi, stomping on the empty beer cans. They whooped and hollered and didn't care about noise complaints or roommates or death for a while. It was something both of them needed.

They calmed down after a minute or two, dropping into a comfortable lull.

And then Iwaizumi broke the silence.

"So stay," he said firmly. "Dragons won't kill you here, right? And there are lots of good humans too! I promise. My friend Yamaguchi's gonna be a vet, he could sew your leg back on. If it ever fell off, I guess. You should meet him some time. I promise he won't try and kill you."

"Really?" The dragon perked up, then deflated. "But... I can't."

_Oh._

Iwaizumi's mood took a nosedive. "Do you... not want to?" He picked at some blades of grass. "Thought you might like, I mean, it might be fun..."

Tooru flinched. _Iwa-chan looks... like how I felt for such a long time. How I feel. Resigned to loneliness again._

He hated saying no like this and not being able to stay, hated the fact Iwa-chan would be leaving and going home at some point _way_ too soon while he...

... did what, exactly?

"I can't," Tooru repeated. "I want to! I just, I don't have anywhere I can go. A place to stay, I mean."

Iwaizumi jolted. _Oh! Wait! So..._

"That's all?" he asked the dragon. "Seriously?" He felt like he'd just downed three cups of coffee.

Tooru nodded.

Iwaizumi burst into laughter again. He snorted and nudged one of Tooru's legs with his elbow. "Man, you really make little things sound _really_ bad. Just come live at my place then."

"... _Really?_ That's okay?" Tooru couldn't hide his excitement. (Not that he wanted to.)

"Yeah!" Iwaizumi started rambling. "I'm sure you'll be a good roommate. The best roommate. Yep. I bet you wouldn't mind taking turns on cleaning the bathroom and taking out the trash and stuff. That would make you the _best_  best roommate then. Can you cook? I can cook. Do you shower in the morning or at night? Where do you work? Are you a student? I am. Oh but you're really big... can you like, shrink or something?"

"That last part's easy," Tooru assured him. "I'll show you tomorrow."

"Cool. Okay. But damn it, Tooru, can you stop doing that whole light thing. It's making my eyes hurt." Ugh. He was getting a hangover already, but he was still feeling the alcohol too. Not a good feeling. Did he have class in the morning? Maybe he could sleep in...

"What light?" Tooru asked, looking around.

He tried very hard not to laugh. "Iwa-chan, that's the _sun_. It's _rising_. That happens here."

Iwaizumi gave the dragon a blank look. "Oh. I guess it's tomorrow then. What were you gonna show me again?"

"Come on, tell me where you live and I'll get you there," Tooru said with a sigh. "You should rest a little, and then I'll come over."

"Mm, if you say so," said Iwaizumi, slumping against Tooru's side. He was already falling asleep. "But only if you promise to show up," he mumbled, with one cheek smushed against the dragon. "Like really promise. Really really."

"I really _really_ promise I'll see you soon, Iwa-chan."

 


	9. This dragon is the one we don't like

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> But sometimes, the one thing you really need is someone—maybe a new friend, or even an old enemy—who'll be on your side when it matters the most.

Iwaizumi gripped the edge of the metal bench to ground himself. He wanted to start the match and serve and spike and block, and he wanted to do it _right now_. ... In reality, he might only be cheering from the sidelines for this match. But that didn't dampen his spirit at all.

Everything just felt right today: the air conditioning was too cold for comfort, but his body was warmed up and ready to go. He was having trouble with jump serves earlier this week, but just now they'd been better than ever. The coach had to raise his voice just to be heard, but the gym was only this noisy because it was packed to the brim with their fans.

Especially when one of those fans had told you "Good luck today, I'll be rooting for you!" right before you left for school this morning.

On any other day, Iwaizumi's answer to a "How are you?" was an automatic "Fine, thanks." But today, everything wasn't just fine—things were _good_.

So good, that some of his teammates came to investigate.

One of them just popped out of nowhere. "Oyaoya?"

Iwaizumi almost toppled over. "Jesus Ch—Kuroo. I mean, Captain." 

"Oyaoyaoya!" called another.

Bokuto's entrance was more like a runaway train. Iwaizumi thought it suited him.

"Um. What's up?" he asked his two teammates.

"Hmmmmm? I wonder," Kuroo mused, a Cheshire-cat grin plastered on his face. "You see, I'm a little bit confused here. Because I think I see our team's very own stone-faced silent stoic _Iwa_ izumi looking—hey, Bo, what's the word I'm looking for?"

"Happy?" Bokuto suggested. Kuroo shook his head no.

"Excited?" Nope.

"On fire?" No.

"Ready to go?" Still no.

"Ready to rumble?!?"

"OH MY GOD," Iwaizumi cut in. This was just like Tooru's weekly game of 'guess what part of dinner has my tail in it.'

So Iwaizumi just reacted like he always did: he threw a towel in Kuroo's face and, in one swift and well-practiced move, trapped the captain with one arm. And then he made a fist and ground one knuckle on Kuroo's head after every word. "You. Idiot. Shitty. Dra- _gaaahhhh—oh my God._ "

He stopped breathing. Bokuto's mouth hung open. Somewhere, crickets chirped.

"Iwaizumi," Kuroo said softly. "My head is in your armpit."

And then Bokuto lost it.

"AHAHAHA _what_ did you just oh man I can't ah Akaaaaashi! Hey! Come 'ere! HAHAHhahahah, hah, ha," Bokuto wheezed at the end. Then he caught his breath and started laughing again and hooting and—

Iwaizumi jumped away from Kuroo."Holy shit—oh my God I'm sorry, uh, I—I mean, ah, seriously, I'm—"

He was at a total loss for words when Kuroo straightened up with a huge smile on his face.

"You..." the captain chuckled, clapping Iwaizumi on one shoulder. "Have you been _holding out_ on me?"

Iwaizumi was definitely missing something.

"All this time, you could've been helping me _shut. This. Stupid. Owl. Up!_ " Kuroo jabbed a finger at Bokuto. "Even _Akaashi's_ never made Bo speechless for that long. And. Do you have any idea how much time we'd save at practice if I can just threaten those underclassmen with your noogies?"

"Uh," said Iwaizumi.

"I mean, no offense," said Kuroo, in his good-natured way. "But I always thought you were uptight and didn't want anything to do with us. This is _way_ better."

He narrowed his eyes at Iwaizumi. Suddenly, his voice lost its airy, casual lilt. "You're always a little stiff on the court. It's why I ask the coach to bench you so much. You seriously look like you're gonna pull a muscle from the way you're landing."

"But this," he waved a finger at his own hair, now completely flat due to Iwaizumi's handiwork, "says to me that you can have a little fun. So keep it up. Relax. Get mad at your teammates when they're being idiots. Laugh at Bo when he's in Emo Mode."

Iwaizumi stared. He had no idea anyone actually noticed him at practice, let alone analyzed his playing. To him, it was now obvious why Kuroo was the captain.

"Especially when Tooru's watching!" Bokuto added, reaching way up with one arm and waving towards the stands with all his might.

Iwaizumi whipped his head around so fast that his neck made a little _pop_.

"Ohoho, what's this now?" Kuroo asked, one eyebrow arched and holding back a laugh.

"Just my roommate," Iwaizumi said quickly. "He hasn't been to a match before."

"He's waving back!" Bokuto yelled, pointing Tooru out in the stands. "Whoa, check out that huge guy's arms though. Next to Tooru. You think he plays volleyball? Wait. D'you guys think he's stronger than me? Wait. He is. He is? _He is!!!_ ... oh. He is..."

Kuroo needed to change the subject _immediately_ , before Bokuto kept going on that train of thought. He was losing confidence way, way too easily lately...

"You think they're on a date?" Kuroo joked.

Iwaizumi spotted Tooru, who was standing up and waving at them. But then there was the guy Bokuto described too. The _hornless_ _(human?!)_  guy who just pulled Tooru's arm down and didn't let go... ?

"... —zumi. I-wa-i-zu-mi," Kuroo called. But all he got was a silent, but rather mean-looking scowl.

Kuroo grabbed Bokuto. "Hey. You know him better. I wasn't trying to make him mad, wha—"

Iwaizumi wanted to tell the captain this wasn't about his joke. But, in the end, all he could do was leave without another word.

Kuroo considered this. Even from here, he could clearly see that this roommate was all starry-eyed and love-struck for _somebody_ on the court. Who else but Iwaizumi? But Iwaizumi was all excuses and " _just_ my roommate" while looking every bit as depressed as Bo during one of his down swings.

_If the problem is what I think it is..._

He spotted three of his teammates and waved them over. "Akaashi. Yaku. Konoha. About Bo and Iwaizumi... what do you think about killing a few birds with one stone?"

 

* * *

 

Tooru yanked his arm away. "I'm just waving! God. So annoying. I'm _not_ 'attracting unwanted attention,' stupid.  _Stuuuu_ -pid. Just sit and watch, you dumb dragon."

Being at a real match was so much better than watching on a screen. Tooru loved the atmosphere, the food, the sounds, everything.

 _Of course_  Wakatoshi would come and ruin it.

 

* * *

 

Akaashi looked like he just ate something bitter. "You want me to do  _what._ "

Yaku, the team's libero, gave him a sympathetic look. But he had his own complaints, too. "Covering for Bokuto is already exhausting," he pointed out. "Now you want to run _all of his_ plays with _someone else_? Bokuto's not stupid, it's gonna make him feel worse!"

"Personally, I don't mind sitting out," said Konoha. "But will Iwaizumi be okay? He's always been support. This is throwing him to the wolves... I really don't like it."

Kuroo winked at his teammates. "That's the point, guys. Trust me on this one."

"Fine, I guess." Yaku sighed. "But _only_ because we've been teammates for six years and you've never been wrong."

Akaashi had the final word. "And I'm _only_ in because Yaku-san trusts you, and you think this might help Bokuto-san. If you're wrong about this..."

The setter didn't need to finish his sentence. Judging from the look on Kuroo's face, he'd made his point.

 

* * *

 

"This 'team' you support does move well, but they have the benefit of a dragon on their side," Wakatoshi observed.

"Nope! Hu~man!" Tooru blew a raspberry at the other dragon; it was very satisfying. No one needed to know that he thought the same when he met Bokuto.

"But, he—" 

Wakatoshi was interrupted by the sudden shouts of "GO!" and "KILL IT NOW!" all around the gym. He looked just in time to see Bokuto break through the opponent's wall for his team's third consecutive point.

After a few more plays, Wakatoshi was still staring at the court, eyes glimmering.

"Looks pretty fun, right~?" Tooru sang.

 

* * *

 

Iwaizumi lifted his collar to wipe some of the sweat off his face. The cramp in his leg went away, but now he felt more exhausted than ever.

_What. Is happening?!_

It was like an alternate universe. Usually, when Bokuto messed up, a loud chorus of "Don't mind!" and "You got this!" followed. Today, Iwaizumi seemed to be the only person encouraging him. So it wasn't surprising when it only took 3 mistakes for Bokuto to fall into Emo Mode: the team's ace just lost his ability to handle a volleyball.

Fortunately, Konoha always took over easily once Bokuto was out of commission... except today. 

"Sorry, man," he mumbled, when he took his number from Iwaizumi. "I need a break. I'm, uh, getting over a cold, and... I'm exhausted, or something... " 

So Iwaizumi just became the only functioning wing spiker on the court. Anxiety and doubt spiked inside him; he'd never been in a situation like this before. Still, Konoha looked really flustered and uncomfortable, and Iwaizumi didn't want him to worry. 

"Don't worry about it," Iwaizumi said with a smile. "I'll do my best."

Konoha gave him a sad look before heading for the bench.

And then there was Akaashi. He started sending Iwaizumi quick sets relentlessly, forming aggressive plays that Iwaizumi could hardly carry out. And, when Iwaizumi messed up, the setter's facial expressions were so impassive and unreadable that he could've been anything from disappointed to annoyed to downright angry. He imagined Tooru giving him a silent treatment like this and suddenly understood one of the reasons why Bokuto's mood might crash during matches.

Thankfully, there was the defense. Kuroo and Yaku kept giving him second and third and fourth chances with their blocks and saves. They were obviously having a harder time supporting him than Bokuto, though. _It would be easier for everyone if Bokuto's back in the spotlight..._

 _Wait—oh shit_ —there was no time for personal reflection here; Akaashi was already sending another quick set his way.

_Too fast. Too far. Where will it drop—_

"DON'T THINK JUST _MOVE!_ " Kuroo roared.

Iwaizumi did just that, letting his body take over. But even then, some part of him was cataloging what those words have meant, and what they mean now: a violent surge of pain on his palms branching up into his arms. Tooru's hand in his _—_ soft, cool, squeezing tight when those old videos showed an exciting play. The soreness in his fingers from clutching the blankets around Tooru so hard because he didn't want to let go—

—and the quick sting and satisfying heat in his palm from hitting a perfect, set-winning spike.

It was like someone turned the volume _way_ up in the gym:

The crowd _exploded_. The sound alone seemed to make the overhead lights clatter and shake.  
Bokuto squawked, "But that's the cross  _I've_ been trying to do!"  
"What the hell, this guy wasn't in the video!" One of their opponents complained.  
The coach turned beet red and growled, "Akaashi! _Kuroo!_ Get  _over_ here!"  
And Iwaizumi, lying on the gym floor, groaned after crashing into the umpire's podium.

Yaku was there in an instant to check for injuries. Once he was satisfied, he gave Iwaizumi an appraising look and then a crooked smile. 

"So maybe you _can_  ruffle some feathers," said the libero. "Try to keep it up."

 

* * *

 

"You guys, I—" Iwaizumi said, after the set break. "I think I can pull my weight better. Probably."

"Are you telling us or are you convincing yourself?" Yaku asked.

Iwaizumi squeezed his eyes shut, took a deep breath, then tried again. "Thanks for covering. Really. You're probably exhausted by—Kuroo, I can _see_ you trying not to look out of breath so don't pretend—"

"I don't know," Yaku interrupted. "Don't get me wrong, you did well. But Kuroo, isn't it time to get Bokuto back into the game?"

The captain hesitated. He really was reaching his limit. And even though Yaku was a better actor, Kuroo knew the libero was much more tired than he let on. Maybe he was taking it too far. Or he already did, since Bokuto didn't look like he was recovering yet.

"Please. Let me handle the tough ones. I can do it," Iwaizumi said firmly. "You don't have to worry so much about block-follows any more. And I'll keep the lead so Bokuto can come finish them off when he's ready."

Yaku and Kuroo exchanged a look. The captain closed his eyes. "I don't think—"

"I believe in you," Akaashi said softly. His words cut through the dense atmosphere like a knife. "When you're trying to help someone, to make their life easier... I've seen what you can do."

"The setter's trust rules the court," said Kuroo. "Don't let us down."

 

* * *

 

"What. Is happening?" Tooru wondered out loud.

"It appears that the 'ace' of this team failed at his role and has been shunned by his fellows, but they have found a suitable replacement." Wakatoshi explained.

"Don't say it like that," Tooru snapped. He turned back toward the court.

"Iwa-chan," he whispered to himself, point after point, every time he moved faster or jumped higher.  _He's never looked like this before._ It made Tooru think about that night on the mountain, though he didn't know why.

"Bokuto Koutarou," Wakatoshi read from the program. "Why do they let him stay on the court? Especially when there is another available."

Tooru felt his chest swell with pride for his roommate and something else that felt nice and warm... but that was a whole different story. He shook off the feeling and said, "They didn't put Iwa-chan in to replace Bokuto. Actually... I think something interesting is about to happen."

 

* * *

 

Everyone knew Bokuto was ready to play once he started bouncing around and trying to get Akaashi's attention. Akaashi was  _always_ the first to notice.

Today, Bokuto's bouncing went unchecked. So he started spinning around in circles like he was chasing his tail. That turned into dancing some sort of frantic Irish jig. And then came the worst sign of all: he was as still as a statue, only moving to fix a death glare on any teammate who dared to go near him. 

 _Oh yeah, feathers definitely ruffled,_ Iwaizumi thought. What was Akaashi thinking?

"Akaashi, Bokuto is _—_ " he began.

The setter ignored him and turned to Kuroo instead. " _Captain,_ " he hissed.

Kuroo let his features stretch into a lazy grin. "Open the cage."

 

* * *

 

Bokuto's first spike this set was so vicious that the receiving player fell victim to his own survival instinct and _dodged_. But Tooru noticed something was off, something that looked a lot like those times when the dragons in the army went from killing for missions to killing for no reason at all.

Tooru took a deep breath, cupped his hands around his mouth, and called, "The Great Horned Owl returns!" 

He had to give Wakatoshi a lot of credit for not moving one bit when half the gym turned to look at them. Even Tooru felt a little awkward.

Those heads turned the other way when a new voice rang out: a woman's, loud and clear. "Look, Kao-chan, it's the Great Horned Owl!"

"Fukurodani's legend!" The woman next to her shouted. With zero hesitation, they started  _hooting_. Soon, a cacophony of owl impressions took over the gym.

Tooru watched Bokuto and held his breath. 

 

* * *

 

"yyyyYYYEEESSSSS!" Bokuto cried, thrusting a fist up in the air. "The Great Horned Owl returns to fight evil with the Great Horned Owls!"

Akaashi smiled fondly. The last time Bokuto had recovered this well was when they made it Nationals that one year in high school. The setter glanced at Kuroo. "You're off the hook. For now. But you're still a giant pain in the ass, Kuroo. ... -san."

"You're welcome," the captain smirked.

 

* * *

 

"They won," said Wakatoshi. "I do not understand."

Tooru cleared his throat. "See, those numbers over there are called  _scores_. And when one team's number is higher than the other _—_ "

He cut himself off when Wakatoshi gave him a blank look. 

 _... Even making fun of this stupid dragon is annoying._  

"You misunderstand," Wakatoshi said. "I am asking why their skill levels changed so dramatically within such a short period of time. We already discovered that humans are not capable of this."

Tooru scoffed. "These aren't your science experiments. There's  _a lot_ you don't know about this dimension."

"True," the other dragon admitted. "Hence, my question." 

"There are ways to motivate others without threatening them with torture or death. I hate to say it, but I think you might be one of the few dragons who might understand this. Or, at least your lieutenant does."

The two dragons were silent; there was only the _crunch_ of the program being crushed in Wakatoshi's hand.

"He failed. He let emotions overtake his duties," said Wakatoshi.

Tooru rolled his eyes. "He  _succeeded_ in being a decent dragon. Remind me to send him a fruit basket for not killing my best officer." 

"That doesn't change the fact that he failed. Also, our prisons do not accept unauthorized packages."

"Ugh, why do I even bother—" Tooru got up. "I guess telling you not to follow me is useless, huh," he said with a sigh, and headed for the exit.

"So he might fare better here."

Tooru turned with a suspicious look. "... what did you just say?"

"Here. Where he would not be a failure. A place where he can be competitive without killing. Perhaps he would enjoy volleyball," Wakatoshi explained.

Tooru was reduced to grumbling random words. "You. Dragons. Don't. Why? Damn it!! Stop! Ugh. Stupid, shitty... _Welllll?_ " He demanded.

"What—"

Tooru crossed his arms and tapped his foot impatiently. "I'm going down to meet up with them. Are you coming or not?"

 

* * *

 

Iwaizumi wasn't so keen on yakiniku after the match, but Bokuto insisted on celebrating the "new evolution" of the Great Horned Owls. They did win, plus he didn't want to ruin Bokuto's extra good mood, so here they were. Besides, after chatting for a bit, he suddenly got his appetite back...

"You're a dragon." Iwaizumi repeated.

"Yes."

"You're using the name Ushijima because you like what you're eating." 

Tooru laughed derisively. "You were serious?!"

"Both of you are right," said the other dragon.

"You guys weren't on a date."

"Also correct."

Tooru wrinkled his nose. "Ew, I can't believe you thought we were."

Iwaizumi tried not to look too relieved. The next part was serious, anyway. "You're here on a mission to kill or kidnap Tooru. Except you have your harmony thing and you don't kill. And Tooru needs to willingly open a Portal for you to actually do the kidnapping and go home."

"Yes."

"I'd date him before I would ever help him," said Tooru.

Akaashi frowned. "Isn't this kind of a terrible plan? You're stuck." 

"I am not out of options," the dragon responded. "From what I have observed today, I think I can emotionally manipulate the prince into opening a Portal if I murder some humans."

Iwaizumi choked on his water. "What?! Then what's all that about 'harmony'?"

Tooru sighed. "They don't kill other _dragons_."

"Humans do not factor into our laws," Ushijima clarified. "Although I believe killing them is a waste of a harvest."

"I don't suppose you mean corn," said Akaashi. He _really_ wanted to leave now, but offending this dragon seemed like a bad idea. Hopefully Bokuto would stay quiet, just this once.

Tooru shook his head. "They monitor the growth of human children, 'harvest' the mature ones they consider powerful, then bring them back to our dimension for processing. Into mindless killing machines too dumb to know you shouldn't charge at a dragon with a sword."

Ushijima frowned. "But one of them actually succeeded."

"I'm tired of killing, all right?" Tooru snapped.

"You should've been born a Harmony dragon," said Ushijima.

The look on Tooru's face was something between a sneer and a smile. "Oh no, I'm perfectly okay with killing _you_ if you hurt anyone here."

The other dragon nodded. "My plans have changed. I will make the best of this situation and observe volleyball as a human. Peacefully."

"What." Iwaizumi said flatly. "Just like that? Tooru, he's just messing with us, right?"

Tooru tried to laugh, but it came out like a forced huff of air. "Our darling Harmony prince's one charm point is that he's too dumb to know how to joke or be sarcastic or lie."

"So you have been complimenting me every time you say I am stupid or dumb," remarked Ushijima.

Tooru spluttered. "Wh—N—Well, _you're_ just doing this observation or whatever to impress a dragon!"

It was the other dragon's turn to be at a loss for words. "I. That. This is for research."

"Yeah, researching _in order to impress him._ " 

"... For the record, I am also genuinely interested in volleyball myself," was Ushijima's only defense.

"So play on our team!" Bokuto suggested. "That's even more impressive than observing, right?"

Akaashi closed his eyes. "Bokuto-san, _please_ tell me you didn't just invite a human-killing dragon to our team."

"Again, I will not kill humans," Ushijima corrected. "It would not be conducive to my research."

Bokuto looked thoughtful. "Hmm, hmm. Akaashi has a point. Hey guy, if you're gonna be an ace, you can't be on _our_ team. You'll need to find your own."

The dragon, in turn, looked pleased. "Good idea. I would learn more as your enemy than your ally. Also, I would not want to displace one of you two—" he waved his chopsticks between Bokuto and Iwaizumi "—from your team."

Iwaizumi felt his blood pressure rise. "You... Tooru, I know he's right, but why does this guy still piss me off so much?"

Tooru laughed for real, this time. "Story of my life, Iwa-chan."

"Well," Iwaizumi reasoned, "If he doesn't actually kill anyone, then he's no worse than Tsukishima." _And if him staying means you staying too, then it's obvious_.

"Fine," said Tooru. "Only because Iwa-chan said it's all right. ... so Release your tail already, I can feel you wobbling from here and you can't go losing Compresh— _waaait_ a minute, you can barely draw a circle, how the hell did you weave _this_?"

"I didn't," Ushijima replied. "The king did. My tail is in his custody."

Tooru snorted. "Wow. In the dragon dimension? Your dad's a bigger asshole than I thought."

"..."

He frowned. The Harmony dragon usually gave him  _something_ to work with.

 _... unless you're not saying anything for a reason._  

A reason Tooru figured out all too quickly.

The humans watched in alarm as scales started to appear on Tooru's arm. His tail swished and flicked like an angry cat's. 

"... except. Your dad can barely draw a _straight line_."

"..."

"He wouldn't do this! You're lying."

"..."

"Damn it, of course you're not!" A glass shattered in Tooru's hand. Green blood dripped onto the tablecloth and burned small holes in the fabric.

Akaashi went to distract the waitress before she came any closer.

"Tooru!" Iwaizumi yelled, prying Tooru's fingers open to make him drop the shards of glass. He cursed when his hands started to burn. 

"Iwa-chan!" Tooru yanked his hands away in surprise; he looked like he just noticed there were people around him. "What are you—here." He closed his eyes, and soon the wounds on both pairs of hands disappeared.

He looked sheepishly at his friends. "Sorry. Calming down now."

Iwaizumi and Bokuto flooded him with questions.

"What's happening?!"  
"What's going on? Are you okay?"  
"What's he lying... not lying about?"  
  
Tooru's eyes darkened. He pushed the words through gritted teeth. "That shitty old man... My dad is holding his tail hostage to make him kidnap me." 

Before anyone could react, he was up and dragging Ushijima to his feet. "I'm going to find him. Come on, Prince Charming, you just got yourself a ticket home."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DRAGON DATA
> 
> Human/dragon names: Ushijima Wakatoshi  
> Faction: Harmony  
> Favorite rune: Vector*  
> Unique/bloodline ability: Spirit shot: solidifying a small amount of spirit into a sphere and throwing/hitting it as a projectile weapon.  
> Hobbies: Drawing, sky racing, volleyball (?)
> 
> * It's the only one he can write.
> 
> Spirit capacity: **  
> Runeworking: **  
> Knowledge: ***  
> Stamina capacity: *****  
> Strength: ******  
> 
> 
> * * *
> 
> Note for anyone who's read my other fic: This chapter might look a little familiar... I accidentally wrote ANOTHER pre-finale, POV-switching, volleyball match chapter with Oikawa watching Iwaizumi and didn't realize it until maybe 10 minutes ago. It feels a bit like cheating but I hope you can still enjoy it!!


	10. But this is the way it's supposed to be

The barren landscape around them was too silent, too still. Gone were the flashes of fire or lightning marking fierce battles near and far, the deafening roars of a winning dragon's victory and the earth-shaking rumble of a lifeless dragon's body falling to the ground.

Other than the two princes, the only dragon within miles was the Faction's ancient symbol in front of them—the great tail-devouring dragon carved in a ring around the cavern entrance.

"It was not like this when I left," Wakatoshi remarked quietly.

Tooru nodded, speechless and dumbfounded at the scene before them. The opposite of chaos wasn't really harmony; it was _this._ Dead silence and unperturbed stillness.

_Dad, what did you do..._

 

* * *

 

A small, silver dragon was waiting for them in the king's chamber. Despite his stature, the dragon's eerily skeletal features and dignified presence made him an imposing figure.

Wakatoshi dropped gracelessly to the ground, failing to keep his balance without the help of his tail.

"Father," he said, voice wavering. "Why are you here?" The implication of an unarmed Harmony dragon alone in enemy territory was too grave for him to accept, but it could only mean one thing and he had to know:

"Did you eliminate the entire Chaos Faction?"

" _You,_ " Tooru seethed, without giving the Harmony king a chance to speak. "I knew it. I _knew_ it wasn't my dad, I knew _you_ were behind this somehow."

He was already weaving two runes together. 

"How'd you do it, huh? Sneak up on him with your humans?" Honestly though, Tooru didn't really care about the hows or whys of this situation; he was completely, singlemindedly focused on how to subdue the enemy.

Using the same Suppression his dad must've been forced to use on Wakatoshi seemed fair here, Tooru mused. Hold the bottom half of the Harmony king's body in a different plane, interrogate the top half before he bled to death. Yes, this was a good plan.

This feeling... just like before. Bottled rage about to explode. Observe the other dragon, turn their strengths into their weakness to crush their will. It felt like he was really home, now.

_...?_

Something broke Tooru's concentration for a moment, even though neither Harmony dragon made a move. That something was a need for calm, a desire for balance. Where did it come from?

_("Don't do this alone.")_

Something made him take a quick look at the dragon next to him.

Wakatoshi was staring at him in silence, eyes wide and chest heaving. His face was an open book.

Tooru thought of volleyball and fruit baskets. He interrupted the flow of Spirit and dropped his arm. 

Just then, a rush of air whirled around them. A slate-gray dragon descended from above and landed on the throne.

"Excellent job, both of you!" The newcomer announced. "Tanji-san, thank you for enduring my son's rash behavior," he said to the Harmony king as an aside.

"We should begin, Nobuteru-san," Tanji said in response.

"Dad?!" Tooru smacked his tail on the ground. "What the hell is going on?" 

Nobuteru sighed. "Tooru. I know my methods were not to your liking, but what would you say if I told you I wanted you to come home in order to negotiate a peace treaty?"

"Bull-fucking-shit," Tooru replied easily.

"Language, Tooru," the king chided. It made Tooru feel like a hatchling again.

He shook off the feeling. "You really expect me to believe that you had me kidnapped, by torturing the prince of the enemy faction, to come here and have a nice, horn-rubbing chat?"

"Yes. Notice how there are Harmony dragons here, and neither of them are dead."

_Oh._

Tooru felt a chill run down his back all the way to the tip of his tail. With no Harmony humans around, even a baby Chaos dragon could kill a full-grown Harmony one; the adult wouldn't be able to fight back. His dad could've killed the Harmony king in an _instant_.

"I issued a Faction-wide decree of non-violence. Tanji-san offered his son's tail to guarantee success on his mission to retrieve you." Nobuteru explained. "A give and take. We are well on our way to peace."

Wakatoshi's tail reappeared.

Tooru choked. "Y-You. You're actually serious."

Both kings let out a roar.

A forest-green dragon landed in front of Tooru, wincing when one of his bandaged legs touched down but still grinning nonetheless.

"Yo," he said.

"Issei!" Tooru was already charging forward and tangling their horns together.

And then there was a yell of _"WakatoshiiiiiiIIII!!"_ coming closer and closer, louder and louder, until a ball of crimson scales landed on top of the Harmony prince.

"Satori. Father released you," the prince groaned with effort. But he looked perfectly happy, half-crushed and all.

Issei smirked. "It looks like His Highness got some of that 'feeling' stuff stuck on his face. Wish I had something he can use to wipe it off." 

For once, Tooru missed the joke; he was completely overwhelmed by the situation. There had never been this many dragons in one place, period. And the fact that they were all meeting peacefully was downright impossible.

Yet here they were.

"It's everything I've wanted for such a long time," Tooru whispered, still in awe of this turn of events. "Everything I hoped for... this is it."

 

* * *

 

A few weeks later.

" _Mom_ , let go of him!"

"Not until I've had my fill of these handsome young men!"

Tsukishima made some kind of choked gulping sound, the result of trying to suppress his complaints (threats) and from a breath being squeezed out of him in a hug from Yamaguchi's mom.

 _Sorry_ , Yamaguchi mouthed to his roommate. This was like watching one of the snakes at the clinic eat a dead mouse.

Meanwhile, Yamaguchi's dad was saying goodbye to Iwaizumi.

"It's great to see you haven't changed one bit since high school, Hajime-kun!" The man exclaimed cheerfully, shaking Iwaizumi's hand.

Yamaguchi was torn. His parents apparently loved Tsukki, which was an amazing surprise and more than he had dared to hope for. 

But then there was his dad putting words to the fear and anxiety that haunted him ever since Iwaizumi started living alone again. 

A while back, Tsukki told Yamaguchi about living creatures' instinctive response against invading Spirit. Now he wondered if Iwaizumi was doing the same to defend himself from all of his feelings, and what anyone could do to help him let happiness in again.

 

* * *

 

A couple of days after that.

"Tsukki, I don't know what to do," Yamaguchi sighed. He swept an armful of cup noodles into their shopping cart.

"Accept that he's not coming back and make Iwaizumi do the same."

Yamaguchi barely managed to catch the bottle of juice he was about to drop.

"What?!"

Tsukishima frowned. "I thought you'd know better. He has a life, and he has responsibilities. Plus, cooperation between faction princes is huge. By now, they're probably changing society as we know it. So if you think Iwaizumi can just hang on until he comes back, you better think of something else because he's not."

"But—"

"Grab a few boxes of that curry, Yamaguchi."

 

* * *

 

"Shit!" Kuroo cursed, after Bokuto and Iwaizumi were out of earshot. The coach would chew him out later for insisting that Iwaizumi should practice with the starters.

But that didn't matter, compared to the fact that he let one of his players get injured.

He shouldn't have gotten too excited, with the intercollegiate tournament coming up, and with Iwaizumi demonstrating more power and speed than ever before.

He _really_ shouldn't have brushed off Akaashi's comments about Iwaizumi not having his head in the game—just chalked it up to the setter being protective of his boyfriend's position as ace.

Now, Kuroo imagined his high school coach, his favorite coach of all time, the one who taught him to prioritize the physical and mental condition of his teammates above all else.

In his mind, that coach would simply shake his head and walk away.

 

* * *

 

Iwaizumi saw everyone's kindness and extra effort. But it really wasn't necessary.

When he was fit to practice again, he apologized to the captain and coach for causing trouble and asked them to put Konoha back in the lineup.

He convinced Yamaguchi to stop visiting so often.

He politely declined every invitation to go drink or hang out from Bokuto and Akaashi.

And soon, it was just like before. Maybe even better, since he picked up a part time job and didn't need someone to split the rent with any more. It was quieter and calmer and easier to concentrate. He had more room in the fridge, less laundry piling up, _and_ he didn't have to feel guilty when the landlord asked the tenants to stop using so much water.

_It's fine. Yeah. Just like before._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Name: Tanji  
> Faction: Harmony  
> Favorite rune: None  
> Unique/bloodline ability: None  
> Hobbies: collecting human-made weapons
> 
> Spirit capacity: **  
> Runeworking: *  
> Knowledge: *****  
> Stamina capacity: ****  
> Strength: ****
> 
> Name: Nobuteru  
> Faction: Chaos  
> Favorite rune: Trap (any type)  
> Unique/bloodline ability: None  
> Hobbies: reading, collecting books, collecting dragon armor
> 
> Spirit capacity: ****  
> Runeworking: ****  
> Knowledge: *****  
> Stamina capacity: ***  
> Strength: ****


	11. Being your roommate is the...

**Part I: The Dream**

He was happy. Really, stupidly, unabashedly happy.

_(Even though this is a dream, and dreams aren't real, and—)_

_Ah, screw it. Just let me have this one, brain._

"I can't believe I dreamed you without horns, though," Iwaizumi whispered.

Not-real-Tooru giggled. "I didn't wanna break your nose again."

"I did make you a dragon still, right?" Iwaizumi reached behind Tooru and patted around. He found the dragon's tail and nodded, proud of his subconscious for not missing that important detail. He gave the tail a squeeze for good measure.

" _Oh my God_ Iwa-chan, you can't just _do_ that!" Tooru yelped. "I mean, okay, _you_  can, but we're not quite there yet, right, and—"

Iwaizumi wrapped his arm around Tooru's waist and tugged, silently urging the dragon to scoot closer until they were nearly nose to nose.

"So noisy," he complained, and shut Tooru up with a kiss.

Tooru's lips were much softer and much,  _much_ sweeter than Iwaizumi had ever imagined (and he'd done _a lot_ of imagining). Surely, it was okay to throw caution to the wind...

Iwaizumi let his hand roam further down Tooru's back, feeling—

—that he wasn't responding at all. He was just there, eyes closed, tension all over his body.

Iwaizumi backed away so quickly that he hit the wall behind him.

"Oh crap, Tooru, um, I'm so sorry I, you didn't, oh man now I'm _really_ glad I didn't do that in real life—"

"Iwa-chan! I was just—"

Iwaizumi was still stammering. "—I didn't, I just—" He didn't get to continue, though, because Tooru's hand was now covering his mouth.

"Iwa-chan, you're always saying I'm stupid, but you're really the stupid one."

Iwaizumi was on his back before he could protest. One look at Tooru's expression was all it took to turn Iwaizumi's need to start bickering into a whole other set of needs that he _definitely_ wasn't going to fight.

Their bodies were pressed against each other's, now.

"Iwa-chan. Just so you know..."

Tooru gave the side of Iwaizumi's neck an experimental kiss, just the lightest of touches, then slowly nuzzled up to his ear.

"Iwa-chan..." Tooru breathed.

He bit down on Iwaizumi's earlobe. Hard.

"Ah! Ahhh..."

The embarrassing yell became a moan when Tooru took that sensitive part of Iwaizumi's ear between his lips and sucked lightly.

When he let go, he whispered, "I'll make sure you end up being the noisy one, too."

" _Jesus Christ_ , Tooru..." Iwaizumi licked his lips.

To say that Tooru was an enthusiastic kisser would be an understatement. It felt like an attack, a breach of defenses, and Iwaizumi was 1000% okay with that. There were touches and licks and tugs and bites, breathless gasps and racing heartbeats, all these sensations he literally had never dreamed of until now, shaking him to the core.

Suddenly, Tooru pulled away. He rolled over and turned his back on Iwaizumi.

"Hey. What's wrong?" Iwaizumi sat up quickly, looking over to see if—

"Don't look!" Tooru squeaked. "You'll laugh at me."

"Will you just let me help you? Tooru—"

"Okay, fine," Tooru huffed. He turned around and waved a claw at Iwaizumi. "I accidentally let go of Compression a little bit. _Happy?_ "

Iwaizumi burst into laughter.

"Iwa-chan! You said you wouldn't laugh!"

"Actually, I didn't, but God, you're just... I always thought this wasn't something I could tell a dragon, but you're really, really cute sometimes."

"... What?"

And then the dam burst. Saying just that out loud stirred up everything Iwaizumi had buried deep inside himself for weeks and weeks, maybe even longer.

"Tooru. Can I tell you something? I, um. I really wanted you to come back. I mean, roommates come and go all the time, right? But for some reason I thought I had all the time in the world with you."

"I keep telling myself I don't need you. And I don't, it's true. But being your roommate is... was... I mean, if there was some alternate universe where you actually want to stay here, I'd drop everything and go there in a heartbeat."

"Iwa-chan..." Tooru sniffled.

"Hey, hey, are you crying?! Don't—"

"Iwa-chan!" Tooru threw himself into Iwaizumi's arms. "I didn't—I'm sorry I didn't come back sooner. I really wanted to, honest. But I'm not leaving again."

Iwaizumi sighed. Clearly part of him _still_ thinks Tooru is coming back. He should probably try to stop this dream soon.

But what he said was, "Do I have to wake up?"

"Tell you what," Tooru said. He nudged Iwaizumi back into his spot on the bed, pulled the covers over them, and snuggled in. "I promise I'll be here when you wake up."

"Mmm." This was how the dream started, so it was probably coming to a close, now. He closed his eyes and mumbled, "You really, really promise, right?"

Tooru gave him one more kiss, just a peck on the lips this time, and whispered, "You know I always keep my promises. See you soon, Iwa-chan."

 

* * *

 

"IWAIZUMI."

"Ughhh damn it _stop!_ " A pair of hands were clamped on Iwaizumi's shoulders, shaking him so hard that he felt like his brain was rattling inside his head.

_God, waking up like this feels terrible._

It was actually a lot worse than just terrible, he realized, when he recognized the face in front of him.

_Oh shit. I used up all my good luck having my dream so now I get this._

"Ushijima, what the _fuck_ are you doing in my bedroom."

"Where is he?" The dragon said sternly.

 _Wait a minute._ Iwaizumi's ability to speak screeched to a halt. _Ushijima came back?! But Tooru didn't. So that really means—_

"The prince. Where is he?" Ushijima repeated.

Iwaizumi wanted to punch him for rubbing salt in an open wound.

"You tell me," he said, more bitterly than he expected.

Ushijima frowned. He looked genuinely confused. "No, you will need to tell me, since he was just with you."

"..."

A crow cawed outside Iwaizumi's window.

It took him a very, very long time to find his words.

"Did you. Did you just. Say that Tooru was just _with me?_ "

Ushijima nodded. "I offered to stand guard here, but he insisted I wait outside. Agreeing was a mistake."

_Shit shit shit shit shit shit that was just now oh my God—_

(Well, let's be real. A (not very) small part of Iwaizumi was kind of really happy...)

But there was just one huge, glaring problem.

"He still wanted to go home after all," Iwaizumi said. It wasn't a question.

Ushijima had that innocent, confused look again.

"Unlikely. We only just escaped. I believe his father was able to track the prince with unknown means and Jumped here to retrieve his son himself."

_Escaped?! But that means—_

Iwaizumi was already out of bed and getting dressed.

"Ushijima. Send me on one of those Jumps."

 

* * *

 

**Part II: The Escape**

Several weeks ago.

Having shiny, bronze-colored scales wasn't really good for sneaking around. But somehow, with that little voice inside him cheering him on, he managed to sneak into the Chaos royal caverns.

The conversation was getting heated by the time he found a good spot to hide and listen.

"This isn't a treaty discussion, you're just telling us what to do!"

This was a voice he didn't recognize, but the massive flow of Spirit meant that the speaker was at least a member of the king's guard.

"We simply tried to hammer out all the boring details before everyone arrived."

He scoffed. _Yeah, you told me that too, Tanji-sama._

"This is ridiculous. Why do _we_  need humans to become our weapons?

"To cut down on dragon injuries and deaths."

"Ugh _Dad_ there's so much wrong with this I don't even know where to start. Humans! Have! Emotions! They're not our tools or toys or anything else like that."

The eavesdropping dragon smiled in spite of himself. _Enemy faction or not, this Chaos prince will be a good king some day._

"And if you can't understand that, then... let me put it in 'practical' terms for you. I'll only admit this once, but I can't sustain that many Portals. Period. It's impossible."

Their king sounded impatient, now. "This is why we need you and Wakatoshi to complete the Circle. The Harmony Faction is offering _immortality_ , Tooru. Why are you making it into a problem?"

 _The Infinite Circle? It's just an old wive's tale, right?_ It was a bizarre legend, even for Chaos dragons, seeking escape from death by eating another's tail. But the king was known as a practical dragon...

"No deal. I refuse."

The Harmony king's voice was grating, almost too hard to listen to. "Your power will be unrivaled in the history of dragonkind. Reconsider, Prince of Chaos."

"Immortality does not protect a dragon from pain."

_The prince is saying something??_

"And you are asking him to be near-dead continuously... for eternity. Father, this is not—"

"Be quiet, Wakatoshi. You'll understand that harmony comes at a price, some day."

"Well, that price doesn't matter here because I'm not paying it. _Pfffffft._ "

_Dear lord did he just blow a raspberry at our king..._

"No. Deal."

"Very well, Prince of Chaos. Your loss."

_That smell. No. Oh, please, no._

He sought out every Spirit shape in the room. The Harmony dragons barely have any Spirit, but he was so familiar with their forms that he recognized them anyway.

Then there was the Chaos faction's king, Spirit burning bright, blinding even, when compared to the two, unsteady and flickering lights next to him. Tiny flames, tinted purple from the chemicals stopping their flow and nullifying their power.

He slumped down onto the ground. Of course. Why else would the king personally visit his lab when he wasn't even there? 

It was all starting to make sense, if you add the king's sudden interest in his amplifier research...

All of this happened right under his nose, this awful plot to turn the Chaos prince into a 24/7 Portal generator.

He closed his eyes.

_I should've flown in to stop them._

_I should've noticed that the gas was gone._

_I did this._

_("It's not your fault. I know you can help him. You have to. Please.")_

....

 _... Right._ That little voice inside him was never wrong; this was no time to cry over what's already been done. He'll figure out a way to stop this, to save the dragon his little brother cared about the most.

 

* * *

 

It took him a few weeks to gather up the courage, and then a few more to actually pin Prince Wakatoshi down. But he was completely determined to face his fears head on, because that's what he should've done all those years ago. Back then, he lied and he ran. It was the biggest mistake of his life.

He wondered what a younger version of himself would say if he knew he would be brave and/or stupid enough to ask the Harmony prince to commit treason with him.

"Your Highness. Thank you for meeting with me."

"You are the head researcher. ... Akiteru."

This startled him. "You know my name."

"Yes. You showed me how to write runes, once."

_He remembers something like that, huh... definitely not like the king at all._

"Your Majesty. I... heard that you're against the king's methods."

The dragon looked solemn. "While the prince is objectively a useful hostage, he is no longer a threat to dragon harmony. There is no reason to imprison him. I believe my father is doing this for his personal gain. If he truly wanted peace in our dimension, he would no longer need humans and therefore not need Portals."

Akiteru took a deep breath. _Here we go..._

"Will you help me free him? You'll need to get those amplifiers off him and buy him some time to recover. The catch is that you'll have to wear one yourself to deactivate the others. You'll exhaust your Spirit supply quickly, but I can show you how to work with that. If you're willing—"

"—Your Majesty," he added, realizing too late that he was basically issuing commands to royalty.

The prince remained unreadable. "What do you hope to gain from this? Most of our faction benefits from the current cease-fire."

_What do I want?_

_What I used to have._

_Kei's face when he found out he would have horns like mine._  
_The sound of his laughter when they came up with that one fart rune._  
_The way he flew around in circles when he invented his first Spirit manipulator._

_I just want to be in his life again._

"How should I put this... I guess, it's the least I can do for someone important to me."

"... I understand. When do we begin?"

 

* * *

 

**Part III: You and me and us and home**

Iwaizumi was pacing around the living room.

"But you're a dragon."

"Yes."

"You can do that spirity stuff."

"Yes."

"But you can't send me to the dragon dimension because why?"

"You should know from two chapters ago."

"What?"

"Our strengths lie elsewhere," Ushijima explained. "Those of my faction. Spirit manipulation is Chaos territory. Theoretically, I can write a powerful enough Vector to—"

Iwaizumi's eyes lit up. "Theory's good enough for me. Let's—"

"Enough to throw you through dimensions in a single direction, with only the laws of physics to determine your destination. You will probably die. It would not be conducive to—"

"Okay, _okay!_ " Iwaizumi yelled. "I get it. Shit. Is there seriously no way to get to the dragon dimension from here?"

Ushijima turned his head away and grimaced. "There is... an impossibility. A legend. Of a forbidden Harmony dragon magic so morbid and macabre that only the most disturbed, death-obsessed scholars of obscure runes would know it."

"Huh," said Iwaizumi. He grabbed his phone. "I know a guy."

 

* * *

 

Iwaizumi answered the door. There was an armored knight and an elf.

"Nope. No more magic creatures," he said, and closed the door.

"Sorry!" He heard Yamaguchi call from outside. "Forgot about my helmet!"

He opened the door to a happy Yamaguchi and Tsukishima's scowling face.

"Much better," Iwaizumi said, and let them in. 

Ushijima stared at them. "You are—"

" _Down!_ " Tsukishima ordered, and pushed Yamaguchi to the ground. A faint blue glow grew stronger as he started writing in midair.

"Tsukki, what the hell?" Yamaguchi complained. "Oww—" But his mouth clamped shut when he sensed something he hoped he never would.

_No no no no no not Tsukki—_

Killing intent.

" _STOP!_ " Yamaguchi bellowed.

"Yamaguchi, stay out of this," said Tsukishima, but one look at his roommate made him drop his arm.

"You were about to kill him!" 

"So? That's their prince. He kills humans."

"Which one was it," Yamaguchi hissed.

The dragon looked away. "Wind tunnel."

"What the _hell_ is _wrong_ with you?!" Yamaguchi was almost screaming. "First of all, _no_ , and second of all, Iwaizumi was right there! You _know_ I would've said something if that dragon was dangerous, so why—"

"Forget it," Tsukishima mumbled.

"O-kay guys," Iwaizumi stepped in. "Nobody's killing anyone. I'm human. I'm alive. All right? So can we all take a deep breath, think nice thoughts, and talk about this horrible evil spell now?"

 

* * *

 

Iwaizumi filled everybody in.

"No," said Tsukishima.

Iwaizumi deflated. "So even you don't know it, huh."

" _Tch._ Of course I do. But I'm not helping him."

"But it's helping Tooru-san in the end, right?" Yamaguchi asked.

"It might have dangerous secondary effects," said Tsukishima. "The spell hasn't been used in eons."

Ushijima frowned at this. "Our records suggest it's simply a modified Jump."

"Psh," Tsukishima scoffed. "Of _course_ the great Prince Wakatoshi has all the answers."

"I do not think—"

"We can't trust you," the scholar concluded.

"Wait, but—" Yamaguchi protested.  
"He helped Tooru before!" added Iwaizumi.

"And we only have his word. Show me _actual evidence_ and I might tell you more about the rune," Tsukishima said in a condescending drawl.

" _RrrraaaaaahHHHH!_ "

Somebody roared, and it wasn't a dragon.

Yamaguchi charged head first into his roommate in a tackle, shoving him into the nearest wall.

"What is WRONG with you?! The killing? And this? _Why won't you help?!_ "

"I don't trust him!" It was the first time Iwaizumi heard the dragon raise his voice.

"I already told you, he's not dangerous!"

"You don't know that," Tsukishima said coolly. "Like I said, I need proof."

Yamaguchi took off Tsukishima's glasses and set them on the coffee table.

And then he punched the dragon in the face.

"Yamaguchi, what—" Tsukishima didn't look physically hurt, but his voice told another story.

" _Ow,_ damn it, Tsukki," Yamaguchi groaned, clutching his own fist. "You were way worse than this guy when we met. _You actually tried to kill me._ But did I need proof from you to know that you were a good dragon? No! I trusted you back then, so why, please, why can't you trust me?!"

"I trust you," Tsukishima said hoarsely.

Yamaguchi pressed on. "And I'm telling you it's safe to work with him."

Ushijima approached the two of them. Tsukishima shied away, but Yamaguchi held him in place.

"Please," said Ushijima. He bowed. "If your faction loses the most powerful member of the royal family, mine will take over completely. My father's word will be absolute. He will destroy every dimension where humans reside."

"Says the dragon who has tried to assassinate our prince for centuries," Tsukishima sniped.

Ushijima straightened up and frowned. "I was doing my duty in the name of my faction. But I now know Father's methods will destroy all of dragonkind and mankind. Furthermore, the prince appears to be more sympathetic to our philosophy than I anticipated."

"We still can't," said Tsukishima.

Yamaguchi wanted to give up. He thought he knew how to untangle the mess of feelings in Tsukki by now, that he'd be able to get through to him.

But now. _Can I trust him any more?_

Tsukishima started talking like he was reading from a book, as quickly and monotonously as possible. " _Ugh_ what a pain our ancestors were superior to us in many ways. Chaos dragons had the ability to shift between dimensions either naturally or through other magic not known to us. This particular rune is designed to give a Harmony dragon the ability to track an injured Chaos dragon. It's basically an extremely accurate Jump powered by a Harmony dragon's physical strength and very little Spirit."

"Tsukki...?!" Yamaguchi was _sparkling_.

Tsukishima couldn't bear to look at him. "Stop it, Yamaguchi." 

Iwaizumi was thrilled, too. "Wait, so it's _even better_ than what we wanted to do? This is great! So how—"

"We can't," Tsukishima interrupted, "because it's blood magic. The hunter needs the blood or flesh of its prey to track it."

Yamaguchi went pale. "But that's not what we're doing... How are we supposed to..."

Ushijima shook his head sadly.

Tsukishima stood in silence.

"Hey, uh, is it okay if it's been frozen?" Iwaizumi asked from the kitchen. He held up a large tupperware container marked 'tail for Iwa-chan <3'. "I have a microwave, if that helps."

 

* * *

 

"He asked you to eat it," Tsukishima repeated.

"Yeah. Wait, is that... I thought it was normal for dragons. Is it actually just a weird Tooru thing?"

Tsukishima and Ushijima shared a meaningful look. The scholar dragon cleared his throat.

"We'll see. But because he prepared it for human consumption, certain components have been neutralized. The spell will lose accuracy."

"Does that make it more dangerous?" Yamaguchi asked nervously. But he thought he already knew the answer.

Ushijima stepped forward. "Iwaizumi may be far too fragile for this trip—"

"Hey now—" Iwaizumi protested.

"—but I think I can help the prince escape again."

Tsukishima gave him another look. "If the stories are true... I mean, it's best if he goes."

"In that case, Iwaizumi, then," agreed Ushijima, without another word.

"You're gonna need this," Tsukishima said, unclasping his amplifier and handing it to the other dragon. "It's for Spirit amplification, and—"

Ushijima already had the device secured on his arm. A blue light blinked on and off a few times.

"Tsukki, is it broken? It's never blinked before," asked Yamaguchi.

Tsukishima stared. Brief hints of surprise and agitation flitted across his face.

"... Factory reset," he said simply. "Let's just get this over with."

The runewriting began.

 

* * *

 

How did it come to _this?_

Tooru had brought them to one of his favorite dimensions, where it was eternally springtime and flowers were always in bloom. He'd only ever let two other dragons come here, but it seemed like the best place to have a peaceful talk with his father.

"It's time for you to stop wasting your time fooling around with humans and take responsibility, Tooru."

_Great start, Dad._

Tooru was already finding it hard to stay calm. "I'm not 'fooling around' or wasting anything! The humans are really interesting, and—"

"You used to be such a good son," the king interrupted. "Remember when we used to go the arenas on tournament days? We would cheer for the fighters, then get a snack at a jungle before going home... Or when..."

Tooru found himself lost in thought and nostalgia. That really was sort of a nice memory. And he definitely had to give his dad credit for stepping up after his mom died. Always setting aside time to check in on him every day, oversee his training, find him the best instructors...

_I wouldn't have met Kei-san without Dad._

"To be fair," the king continued, "I didn't know Tanji-san would drug the two of you like that. I will be having a word with him, and of course I don't expect you to go back to the Harmony side and make Portals there. Maybe we could set up amplifiers here! You found a nice place, Tooru. Well done."

"..."

 _Maybe he's right._ Staying would be the right thing to do, and if he was here and not in a Harmony dungeon...

_("But isn't the apartment—I mean, your apartment—the nicest place of all?")_

That small voice in his mind was a wake-up call.

"Dad, I—I'm sorry. I can't do this."

The king growled. "You have skill, a unique talent, and a chance for immortality. No son of mine would squander these gifts! It's up to me to set you straight."

Both dragons starting writing runes at once.

A wind rune was easiest for Tooru, and he figured his was strong enough to knock his dad back and stun him a bit.

 _He's writing fire!_ Tooru realized too late. Wind would only fan the flames and strengthen the fire rune. He quickly twisted the blast of wind into a long and narrow shape. The resulting form was packed with so much Spirit that it was nearly tangible.

He threw the improvised air blade around the fire and held it to the king's throat with a stream of Spirit.

The king put out his fire attack but seemed perfectly nonchalant. "Look up, Tooru."

A huge mass materialized above Tooru's head, so big that it cast a shadow over the entire dragon: thousands of deadly spikes shaped from stones and dirt.

_Shit. He was serious._

"Oi. Oi! Tooru!" A small voice called.

_Huh?_

"Tooru! Is that your dad?" Iwaizumi yelled.

 _No. No! Why? How did..._ Tooru couldn't believe it. He wanted to cry; the stakes were suddenly much higher. Too high. One slip and he'd get both of them killed. _W_ _hy is this happening?!_

It was too dangerous for the dragon to do anything but plead. "Iwa-chan, please, get _out_ of here!"

 

* * *

 

"Oi! You!" The king's eyes went wide when he spotted the owner of that voice.

"Yeah, you, with the whiskers," Iwaizumi shouted. "Do you _seriously_ think that kidnapping your own son is good parenting? What kind of dad are you anyway? Aren't you ashamed of yourself?"

The dragon opened his mouth but said nothing.

"And! Another thing! You can't just go into people's bedrooms and steal their roommates without asking. It's rude and frankly, pretty damn creepy."

"Oh yeah, and, if you're gonna go stalking your son or whatever, or send dragons after him... where the hell were you when he was hurt? He could've died! Could've used a good kidnapping then! But _noooo_ , you were probably just playing golf or something. Jeez."

"So what do you have to say for yourself, huh?" Iwaizumi demanded, hands on his hips, impatiently waiting for a response.

The king's wings dropped. "Tooru... is this true? The human said you could've died," he said weakly. 

The rock trap floated past Tooru and dropped with a resounding _BOOM_.

"Wakatoshi. One of their humans got me," Tooru answered. 

"... Well, but, I wasn't spying on you _back then_ ," the other dragon said, almost petulantly. "And that's just another reason for you to take Prince Wakatoshi's tail! So you won't get yourself in that situation again! I don't understand _why_ you don't want that."

"Did you ever ask?" Iwaizumi called.

The king frowned and tilted his head to one side.

Iwaizumi pulled at his hair and started pacing around. " _Jesus Christ_ what kind of a dad _are_ you? You never just asked Tooru what he wanted? This is ridiculous. I can't believe they let you lead a country or whatever it is you're king of. Seriously..." Iwaizumi was still talking, but his voice dropped to a grumble too quiet for the dragons to hear.

The king looked at Tooru sheepishly. "Isn't immortality a good thing?"

"Try again. Don't ask leading questions," Iwaizumi scolded.

The dragon looked down and drew little circles in the ground with his claw.

"You better not be stalling," Iwaizumi threatened, and the king straightened up right away.

"Ahem. Tooru... what do you want?"

"I wanna go home with Iwa-chan," Tooru blurted, before his father had finished asking the question. "And then come back and figure out the Portal thing, and maybe get Issei to help with some of the administrative stuff for the faction—"

"—you're pushing your work onto someone else?" The elder dragon growled.

"Oh, like you didn't make Mom do all the work when she was still here," Tooru snapped back.

That shut the king up.

"It's not like I'm leaving and never coming back... I just don't want any old dragon to use Portals, not the ones who will destroy entire dimensions or, I dunno, the entire human race like that shitty skeleton the Harmony dragons call a king."

" _Language,_ Tooru."

Iwaizumi cleared his throat loudly.

"Sorry," the king squeaked. "Continue. Please."

"Dad... that's really all I want. How does all of this sound?" Tooru asked tentatively.

The other dragon sighed. "All right, fine. I'll try to start understanding you... but it'll take a while." He snuck a peek at Iwaizumi. The human gave him a thumbs up, and he let go of a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"I will admit that humans are interesting, if they're all like this one. Could've made a good dragon. Much better than those empty headed ones they're making over there."

Tooru smiled broadly. "Nope, Iwa-chan's the only one like this 'cause he's the _best_ human! The other ones are pretty cool, though."

The king seemed to consider this carefully. "Well... if you're allied with the best human, that doesn't sound too bad... proper for a prince..." He scuffed a claw into the ground.

This. _This_ was what his dad always used to be like. A complete terror out in the world, and a giant dork at home.

Tooru huffed a little laugh. "We're gonna go now. But I'll see you soon, okay?" Without waiting for a response, because _God_ he just wanted to go home, he opened up a Portal under Iwaizumi, Compressed himself, and jumped right in.

 

* * *

 

Iwaizumi tumbled out of the Portal onto his bed with a soft _thump_. Soon after, Tooru emerged above him and dropped neatly into his lap.

"You put the Portal here on purpose, didn't you," Iwaizumi grinned.

Tooru wrapped his arms around Iwaizumi's neck. "I don't know what you're talking about. I was just aiming for our apartment."

"Stupid trash dragon," said Iwaizumi, face burning from that "our" just now. He pulled Tooru in for a kiss.

As for Tooru... he saw that look just before their lips met. Iwa-chan, his roommate, the best human across every single dimension. That look was warm and it was _everything_ and it was _home._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This started as a goofy why-am-I-writing-this hq x maid dragon fic, but it really was fun to work on. 
> 
> And now it's a series! Sequel: [Not all I worship and adore](http://archiveofourown.org/works/12001656/chapters/27155550). Same AU, but no longer using events from Kobayashi. 
> 
> Mostly Yaku-human/Lev-dragon plus lots of IwaOi. And a few cats.
> 
> Thank you for reading this one!! I hope you enjoyed it.


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